There are pics this time.
Columbian Exposition Wagon
Our objective the first day was to get through PA. Their interstates are so bad, they are a disgrace to the nation. We had 6 hours of driving to do. I took I-68 through Western MD. It added 45 minutes to the already long drive, but the road is much better. We still had to drive north to Pittsburgh and then west to Ohio. We stopped in Akron for the night (near Cleveland). We had time to take a short hike in Cuyahoga Park, which is very nice. But basically we just drove.
1902 Electric Car
Today we drove through Ohio. We stopped at the Great Lakes Museum in Toledo, mostly just to stretch our legs. We didn’t realize how dangerous it was to be on a commercial boat in the great lakes. They lost a ship every 11 days, on average — all the way up through 1970. We’re staying in South Bend, IN. Of course, one should never go through South Bend without visiting the National Studebaker Museum. I enjoyed this stop quite a bit and Danita was pleasantly patent.
1904 “C”
Studebaker started out as one of the best known and most successful manufacturers of horse-drawn wagons and buggies. Their first cars were electric. The one pictured here had a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 22 MPH. Not bad specs for 1902!
1919 Bix Six
Those of you who are younger may not realize that Studebaker was one of the most successful car manufacturers from the early 1900s up through the 1950s. The oldest gasoline Studebaker in existence is the 1904 “C”, which is quite a looker. Before WW II, they were especially known for building rugged, reliable cars – such as this 1919 “Big Six” that traveled 475,000 miles.
1935 President
Their big car before WW II was the “President”. They had several of various models and years in the museum. All were impressively large and attractive.
1931 Six Roadster
They made small cars as well as large ones, and they all looked great. They even made some entry level cars. They weren’t price competitive with Ford model Ts, but they consistently had top-of-the line styling, features, performance, and reliability.
1953 Champion Hardliner Hardtop
Immediately after WW II, they were the first company to come out with attractive cars. They kept their styling advantage throughout the 50s. The Champion Hardliner is considered one of the most beautiful production cars ever made.
My New Studebaker
At the end of the tour, Danita and I had a great little fantasy of what it might have been like to own one of these most desirable cars. The one pictured here was from the 40s and featured one of the most unique and identifiable styling queues — the rocket nose. It had all the fun of a great convertible, without any of the fussy seat belts and beeping warning buzzers.