Studes in Roadside Americana photos

[JRoberts]

Cars parked in front of University Apartments, 1955 by Michigan State University Archives

[JRoberts]

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[JRoberts]

[JRoberts]

[tstoj38]

..............

[BRUCESTUDE]

Back in the day Studebakers were basic transportation, and if the road was muddy...oh well. Today, if I was driving my Lark and came to a muddy road, I'd turn around! I've spent way too much time scraping crud from the undercarriages of Studes when restoring them!!

[mapman]

I have a couple questions for the experts. This '50 doesn't have a split windshield. For some reason I thought only the convertible and the Land Cruiser had the one piece windshield. Is this a champion or a commander and how can you tell?

[dpson]

I have a couple questions for the experts. This '50 doesn't have a split windshield. For some reason I thought only the convertible and the Land Cruiser had the one piece windshield. Is this a champion or a commander and how can you tell?

This is a Champion. I'm sure the "experts" will chime in with all the differences between a Champ and Commander, but the most obvious difference between the two is the headlight bezels (and front fenders). The Commander bezels are much larger.

[TWChamp]

Also the Champion has the shark fin hood ornament (but not all Champions had a hood ornament), while the Commander has the heavy chrome V with a clear round spear in the V. The Commander also has larger bumpers and bumper horns or guards, whatever you want to call them.

[62champ]

Back in the day Studebakers were basic transportation, and if the road was muddy...oh well. Today, if I was driving my Lark and came to a muddy road, I'd turn around! I've spent way too much time scraping crud from the undercarriages of Studes when restoring them!!

Remember a guy telling stories about where he lived in Texas, those bullet-nose front fenders would fill up with mud and rocks when the roads were wet - he said they would actually fill up to the point the front of the car would sit a couple inches lower because of all the weight...

[Studedude]

[53k]

I have a couple questions for the experts. This '50 doesn't have a split windshield. For some reason I thought only the convertible and the Land Cruiser had the one piece windshield. Is this a champion or a commander and how can you tell?

The Starlight Coupes all had one-piece windshields and all '51s had one-piece windshields.