12th 1955 Studebaker Commander on CL????

[61LaRk4dr]

Not mine, ad claims that the car is 12th in production due to firewall tag. Is this how the tag is supposed to be read? I am not familiar with these model cars.

https://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/6106306256.html

[ddub]

I think that mean it was the 12th 4 door Commander body tub assembled. However, that does not mean it was the 12th Commander 4 door built. Could have been first, or 100th. Need the serial # to know.

[S2Deluxe]

Not mine, ad claims that the car is 12th in production due to firewall tag. Is this how the tag is supposed to be read? I am not familiar with these model cars.

No it's not the 12th Commander or even the 12th 4 door Commander The tag identifies the body as the 12th '55 Commander Deluxe 4 door sedan body tub produceded by Studebaker. They produced Commander Regal
( 16G8 - W5 ) and I believe also Commander Custom ( 16G8 - W1 ) 4 door sedan body tubs. Then there were D body Commander station wagons and Commander F body 2 door sedans, also available in the same 3 trim levels. C body Commander Starlight coupes were only available in either the ( 16G8 - C3 ) Deluxe or the ( 16G8 - C5 ) Regal trim levels. K body Commander Strainer hardtops ( 16G8 - K5 ) were available only in the Regal trim. I think, that with only a very slight possibility of an exception for the rarer Custom trim models, a #12 body tub was produced for all of the above! It is still a very early '55 Commander.

Mark

[studegary]

This is an early first series 1955. There were separate body number series for each of the 30 different model and trim combinations for first series 1955s. That means that there were 30 different bodies with the number 12. Of course, in 1955 there was a second series that started the numbering all over again for the 20 body/trim combinations that were new.

[S2Deluxe]

Of course, in 1955 there was a second series that started the numbering all over again for the 20 body/trim combinations that were new.

Yes, the wrap around windshields were introduced on sedans and wagons and the body numbers started over for those models. They also used even numbers for the trim levels on those models, such as ( 16G - D2 ) for a Champion Custom station wagon, ( 16G8 - F4 ) for a Commander Deluxe 2 door sedan, and ( 6H - W6 ) for a President Regal 4 door sedan.

Mark