1928 Studebaker Commander

The Studebaker Commander, which had been introduced in January of 1927 as a lower-priced version of the former Big Six, had an all-steel body, narrow front door pillars, and a flatter roof line. In the front were double bar bumpers which provided safety and gave it a modern appearance. Standard equipment included Gabriel shock absorbers, rearview mirror, automatic wiper, stop light, and rear fender guards. Other standard features included Budd steel disc wheels. They had a Steward-Warner speedometer and hydrostatic gas gauge. The Regal body styles came with cigar lighters, a vanity case (in the coupes), and engine thermometers. Power was supplied from an L-head six-cylinder unit which had a 354 cubic-inch displacement size and offered 75 horsepower. The engine was mated to a 3-speed transmission and braking was controlled by four-wheel brakes.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2017

This Studebaker Commander roadster participated in the AAA Endurance speed, and endurance run in October 1927 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Along with two other Studebaker Commanders it established new speed and endurance records. This Commander traveled 25,000 miles in under 23,000 minutes at Atlantic City, averaging over 65 miles per hour. Prior to this event, no car had established records for over 15,000 miles. The car subsequently toured the country as part of a Studebaker promotional campaign.

The official time clock never stopped during the Commander's 25,000-mile run, not even for pit stops or driver changes.

After the three Commanders completed their 16-day run, Studebaker held every speed and endurance record for fully-equipped stock cars regardless of power or price. The Commander was accordingly labeled 'World's Champion' in performance. Taking advantage of its impressive title, this car toured the country as part of a Studebaker promotional campaign.