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1934 Studebaker Commander Land Cruiser news, pictures, and information | ||
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The 1934 Land Cruiser was one of those 'streamliner' cars, like the the vintage Chrysler Airflow. And, like the Airflow, it was FUNKY. It had a smooth trunk deck, a five piece rear window, skirted fenders, teardrop headlamps, and horizontal hood slats. The Land Cruiser body was available as a Commander and an upscale President. The Land Cruiser body was available for one more year, then it was dropped. The style, albeit toned down a notch, reappeared in 1941. The Land Cruiser name carried over after the war as the top of the line Commander sedan on a stretched wheelbase, bearing no resemblance to the streamliners of yore. The Land Cruiser nameplate was retired after the 1954 season. The Land Cruiser was used by Japanese automaker Toyota for the name of its new off-road vehicle in 1957.
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The highly-stylized Land Cruiser body featured a unique four-window pane rear view, couple with a sloping fastback style that was influenced by European streamline designs of the period. The laid back grille and a belt molding that followed the slope of the streamlined rear gave the car the appearance of motion while standing still.
Other innovative styling features included the horizontal louvers on the hood sides, spare tire integrated into the body shell and fully-skirted rear fenders.
It is unclear how many cars were produced with this body, but Studebaker only produced 3,698 cars from September 1933 to October 1934. This Commander Land Cruiser is one of only three cars of all series known to exist today. Sadly, the other two have been converted into street rods.
The Commander was powered by a L-head inline cast iron eight cylinder engine with aluminum heads. It developed 103 horsepower at 3,800 rpm.
This car was purchased at auction in 2002. It has been fully restored by the previous owner and shown along the East Coast for many years.
The Studebaker Commander was produced for several years, representing several bodystyle changes, and first appeared in the 1920s. The company would continue to use the name until their demise in 1966. There were only a few years where the Commander did not appear in Studebaker's line-up during that time; those were in 1936 and 1959-1963.
When the name first appeared in 1927, it was Studebaker's middle-series. As the years progress, it would move up and down market, often changing positions from year to year. The name would continue until it was dropped in 1935, only to reappear in 1937 where it served as the company's least expensive model, taking the place of the previous Studebaker Dictator. The company had decided to do away with the 'Dictator' name, due to the negative political connectors associated with the name. Mainly, Adolf Hitler in Germany had tainted the word 'dictator.'
The Commander moved up-market in 1939 when Studebaker introduced the Champion model. After the Second World War, Studebaker dropped its President moniker, and repositioned the Commander in its place. At the same time, Studebaker introduced an extended wheelbase model known as the Land Cruiser.
The President name reappeared in 1955; the President model became the premium model range and the Commander was demoted to the mid-range model. The name would continue until 1958 and reappear in 1963 for the 1964 model range. It was positioned next to the lowest-priced Lark model and above the entry-level Challenger model.
By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2008
For more information and related vehicles, click hereWhen the name first appeared in 1927, it was Studebaker's middle-series. As the years progress, it would move up and down market, often changing positions from year to year. The name would continue until it was dropped in 1935, only to reappear in 1937 where it served as the company's least expensive model, taking the place of the previous Studebaker Dictator. The company had decided to do away with the 'Dictator' name, due to the negative political connectors associated with the name. Mainly, Adolf Hitler in Germany had tainted the word 'dictator.'
The Commander moved up-market in 1939 when Studebaker introduced the Champion model. After the Second World War, Studebaker dropped its President moniker, and repositioned the Commander in its place. At the same time, Studebaker introduced an extended wheelbase model known as the Land Cruiser.
The President name reappeared in 1955; the President model became the premium model range and the Commander was demoted to the mid-range model. The name would continue until 1958 and reappear in 1963 for the 1964 model range. It was positioned next to the lowest-priced Lark model and above the entry-level Challenger model.
By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2008
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