It saves you money every thrilling mile

[BobWaitz]

[6hk71400]

I think this advertisement is the first example I have seen that undercuts one of the companies other product. Don't get me wrong the Commander and President are great cars and I would love to own a pre war model, but the Champion was such a success why undercut the sales? It would be like saying paying a little more for the 1959 Silver Hawk than a Studebaker Lark.

Dad bought a 1941 Champion new and that was the car my Dad and Mom drove from San Franscisco to Reno to get married in 1945.

Thanks Bob Waitz for this ad and all the others you take time to research and publish here.

Bob Miles

[tsenecal]

Yes, a definite Thank You. I have enjoyed them all, as well. The advertising firm tried to add flare to everything.

[Milaca]

$660 in 1940 is equivalent to approximately $12,647 in today's dollars.
If this exact car was in mass production today (without today's required safety standards and pollution control equipment) it would likely sell for around......$12,647.

[BobWaitz]

$660 in 1940 is equivalent to approximately $12,647 in today's dollars.
If this exact car was in mass production today (without today's required safety standards and pollution control equipment) it would likely sell for around......$12,647.

I'd sure buy it!

[Hallabutt]

I think this advertisement is the first example I have seen that undercuts one of the companies other product. Don't get me wrong the Commander and President are great cars and I would love to own a pre war model, but the Champion was such a success why undercut the sales? It would be like saying paying a little more for the 1959 Silver Hawk than a Studebaker Lark.

Dad bought a 1941 Champion new and that was the car my Dad and Mom drove from San Franscisco to Reno to get married in 1945.

Thanks Bob Waitz for this ad and all the others you take time to research and publish here.

Bob Miles

Simple answer is profit margin. The margin on luxury, or at least top of the line cars, margin is higher then it is on the bread and butter cars.

[Andy R.]

I think this advertisement is the first example I have seen that undercuts one of the companies other product.
Bob Miles

Yes, that is odd.
A logical marketing approach might have been connecting the outstanding value of the Champion upmarket in the Commander line. Build on your successes!

[BobWaitz]

I'd sure love to know what the sales people in the Studebaker showrooms thought of this particular ad.

I wonder if Andy Beckman has access to letters written to South Bend commenting on ads and other things...

[firestoper 25]

Ref ; post # 7

Kind of like Ford in the seventy's stating the Pinto's outstanding value (exploding gas tank & exploding Firestone 721 radial's) lets you move up to the tin worm rust disappearing 70 Ford Galaxy ??? ;>) I worked during college at several Ford dealership's, the sales meetings really tried to work around the bad headlines / law suits. At least Studebaker did NOT have publicity like Ford !

[NCDave51]

Still trying to get past the alignment of that front bumper. Even a casual visual estimate of gap shows it much closer at the drivers side than the passengers'?

Use the lower edges of the grille panels as your reference...

[firestoper 25]

1 st of the federal 5 MPH bumpers??

[6hk71400]

At the risk of wearing this topic out, read the fine print. The $660.00 price was FOB at South Bend. Sleuthing a bit, a 1940 Champion coupe had a price of $705 and a Commander 2 door Club sedan had a price of $925.00 at the dealership, with the extra charge for shipping

Studebaker was not alone in this. Comparing 1940 Ford the standard 60hp V8 coupe was priced at $691 delivered in Livermore, KY. A Deluxe Ford V8 85 HP coupe was $789 delivered in Livermore, KY. Upselling has been going on all the time. Come in 1964 to look at the $2,495 Mustang (which you probably could not find on the lot) and leave with either a Custom 300 four door or a $3,500 optioned Mustang.

So, the $660.00 was to get people in the showroom then have the salesman do the rest. Still a nice ad. If people were starting to make some money, they would like to spend it on a new car.

Bob Miles

[Lark Hunter]

Still trying to get past the alignment of that front bumper.

I keep looking at that now, hoping that it's an optical illusion from the angle the picture was taken at, but it does look tweaked.

Those ever hyperbolic admen were correct, though. I'd be thrilled mile after mile piloting this automobile through the ocean of greyscale blobs that the masses drive. Love the 1939-40 President/Commander styling, and it's one of a handful of prewar cars that can handle today's traffic as equipped from the factory (if you checked that box for the optional-at-moderate-extra-charge overdrive). Sign me up!