Studebaker Four Touring Car
Studebaker Erskine
Car : Studebaker Four Touring Car
Year : 1914
Engine : 4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :89×127 mm
Cylinder capacity : 3150 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 35
Maximum speed : 44 mph
Wheelbase : 9 ft 8 ins (2.74 m)
Suspension : front and back : semi-elliptic leaf- springs
Car : Studebaker Erskine
Year : 1927
Engine : 6 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :66.67×114.3 mm
Cylinder capacity : 2395 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 40
Maximum speed : 60 mph
Wheelbase : 8 ft 11 ins (2.71 m)
Suspension : front and back : semi-elliptic leaf- springs
Studebaker is one of the oldest names in the history of transport, going back to 1736, when Peter Studebaker first arrived in the United States from Holland. He set the path for future generations of his family, building carriages. This business was consolidated by two great-grandchildren, Henry and Clem, who started a coach factory at South Bend, Indiana. A third grandchild, John, joined them, and during the Civil War the firm supplied military wagons to the Union army.
From wagons (the famous Conestogas) Studebaker began to build chassis for the first car manufacturers, and eventually they started thinking about making cars themselves. Studebaker thus became a car firm, but did not stop making horse-drawn vehicles until 1921. It began in a small way in 1902 with electric cars, and in 1904 progressed to 4-cylinder engines, in collaboration with Garford. They also had agreements with E.M.F. of Detroit, Northern, Wayne, and Flanders, which gives some indication of how cautiously they turned to car manufacture.
With the absorption of E.M.F. in 1910 the Studebaker Corporation was formed, that being the name given to all subsequent designs. In 1914 it became a car company in the full sense, producing cars under the name Studebaker only. There were basically two models, 4- and 6-cylinders, both cheap, and thus in direct competition with the most common makes of the day. The Four Touring Car sold for $1,050. The water cooled 4-cylinder engine was rated at 35 bhp. It had shaft transmission. As all American companies used to specify, the price included hood, trunk, lights, wind-shield, speedmeter, and removable wheel rims. The listing of such details leads one to suppose that not all car manufacturers at that time considered these accessories as standard.
The Erskine had a 6-cylinder in-line engine rated at 40 bhp, crankshaft on four bearings, pump cooking, and sindle-disc dry clutch. Among the car’s innumerable features, included in the price, was a device for locking the steering-wheel and at the same time disconnecting the ignition. Car thefts were thus already considered a problem.
In 1928 Studebaker took over Pierce-Arrow, makers of de luxe cars. In 1933, however, Pierce-Arrow became independent again, the company announced that it was going to cease production.