Article Excerpt: Studebaker’s New V-8: Triumph and Tragedy

Just a few excerpts from an ambitious tome by Murray D. Stahl. Have a look at the full article (link below).

"From Studebaker’s New V-8: Triumph and Tragedy - An Independent Automobile Company’s Quest to Survive a Change in Its Reality." By Murray D. Stahl

"As the new V8 was introduced, Studebaker management were congratulating themselves on 1950 sales of 334,554 vehicles. It was a high water mark. Soon the company would be hanging on by their proverbial fingernails selling 82,000 cars, 113,920 vehicles in '54; a 66% drop in three years despite a “state of the art” engine and redesigned automobiles."

"The new engine offered more power and the additional benefit of greater economy as well. In the Mobilgas Economy Run of 1951 a V-8-powered Commander with overdrive managed a 28-mpg average from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon via Death Valley. That beat the 1950 L-head Six Commander's mileage by more than four miles per gallon. As you look at the EPA figures for our modern full size cars take note of how few can match this fuel economy 50 plus years later."

View the full article on StudebakerSpeedster.blogspot.com.