Presented by the Studebaker Corporation and directed by Seymour Friedman, The Studebaker Story, Vol. 1 The First Hundred Years is a short 1953 film that gives viewers a quick look at the history of the Studebaker family and their rise from making wagons to producing quality automobiles. The film opens with illustrations of the development of the wheel, before cutting to a reenactment of the Studebaker brothers in 1852 South Bend, Indiana (01:34). Henry and Clement Studebaker work in their blacksmith shop as they talk to their first customer. The brothers secure a wheel on a wagon for another customer; later, they sketch out a new wagon design for the customer. The film shows the finished wagon with the Studebaker name painted on it. The film then shows a California gold rush town with a painted mountain backdrop (06:27). John Mohler Studebaker prepares to head back to South Bend. John tours Henry and Clement’s new wagon shop. Peter Studebaker and Clement present a contract they secured to make 100 wagons for the military. Illustrations show wagon trains heading west, and scenes from the Civil War, including the family’s wagon depot in St. Joseph, MO. The family sits around a formal dinner table (13:49), but they are interrupted as they realize their wagon factory is on fire. The brothers stand and talk about the future of the company with the smoldering ruins of the wagon factory behind them (14:47). The film shows an illustration of their new plant (17:40), which is apparently the largest transportation plant in the country. John Studebaker takes a ride in the first Studebaker automobile prototype with one of his employees (19:04). The two men then test-drive another prototype of the car. Illustrations are used to show viewers the new Studebaker gasoline automobiles (23:02). The film then cuts to post-World War II, where the company’s board meets to discuss the future of the company and the naming of a low-priced Studebaker model (the “Champion”). The film ends with a shot of the newest Studebaker model, the 1953 Starlight coupe.
Studebaker was an American automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the firm was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the military. Studebaker entered the automotive business in 1902 with electric vehicles and in 1904 with gasoline vehicles, all sold under the name “Studebaker Automobile Company.” Until 1911, its automotive division operated in partnership with the Garford Company of Elyria, Ohio, and after 1909 with the E-M-F Company. The first gasoline automobiles to be fully manufactured by Studebaker were marketed in August 1912. Over the next 50 years, the company established a reputation for good quality and reliability.
After years of financial problems, the company merged in 1954 with luxury carmaker Packard to form the Studebaker-Packard Corporation. However, Studebaker’s financial problems were worse than the Packard executives had thought. The Packard marque was phased out, and the company returned to the Studebaker Corporation name in 1962. The South Bend plant ceased production on December 20, 1963, and the last Studebaker automobile rolled off the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, assembly line on March 17, 1966.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
