The Studebaker history is a short one, and a sad one at that, but inside Studebaker, you'll find a meticulously crafted history of the early automobile. Studebaker began business as a builder of covered wagons. By 1921 they were the number four automaker in the nation. By 1932 they were bankrupt. And for Studebaker, one of the most remarkable stories in American automotive history, that was only the beginning. Studebaker: America's Most Successful Independent Automaker tells the full and fabulously colorful history of this icon of the American automotive scene. Rife with triumph and tragedy, brilliant moves and boneheaded decisions, Studebaker's decades of building cars makes for a tempestuous saga featuring some of the more interesting characters in the twentieth-century business world. Above all, the story features cars that, for countless Americans, truly defined driving: not just the Champion, which rocketed the company back to the top in 1939, or the 1950s Raymond Loewy-designed Starliner, deemed a "work of art" by the Museum of Modern Art, but also the Hawks and Larks that so many drivers loved. As the book traces Studebaker's fortunes from success to crisis to merger and back, it also dwells with loving photographic attention on the vehicles, from the first electric car to the last Avanti.

Studebaker was in the vehicle business for 114 years and has a fascinating history that has been told numerous times by a variety of authors. This book does not retell the grand sweep of the company's history, but instead it fills in the corners, illuminating Studebaker's history with anecdotes, stories and interesting details that other authors either missed or omitted. For instance, it includes biographies of twenty-seven other companies that Studebaker and the Studebaker family were involved in. It extensively traces the growth and development of Studebaker in New York City, probably the company's most important market. It tells the story of a dog fancier. It covers more than fifteen stories of crimes committed with or involving Studebaker cars. And it includes much more, all related to the years between 1852 and 1930, the company's early years.

The Studebaker History Corner is a collection of anecdotes and short stories covering the entire span of Studebakerâs history from 1852 through 1966. Including both the famous and the obscure, it provides perspective, adds detail to existing histories, and entertains with facts you havenât heard before, accompanied by authenticated and corrected versions of some of the stories you most likely have heard.For instance, the Studebaker History Corner includes an article on the Studebaker Electrics, setting them in the context of the rest of the electric auto industry. Studebaker, we learn, was an important manufacturer, but neither the largest nor the longest-lived. The book also includes the story of the Selden patent and Studebakerâs place in it, the fascinating story of a theft from the Studebaker administration building, the history of Studebakerâs unionization, an account of the relationship between Studebaker and Trans International Airlines and much more.