1935 Studebaker Dictator Phaeton

This 1935 Studebaker Model 2A Dictator Phaeton sits atop a 114-inch wheelbase and is outfitted with an L-Head six-cylinder engine capable of producing nearly 90 horsepower. Stopping power is provided by four-wheel hydraulic brakes, while power is sent to the rear wheels through the use of a three-speed manual synchromesh transmission with overdrive.

It was originally shipped to Australia, much like many other Studebakers, where it was fitted with a right-hand drive Phaeton body by TJ Richards & Sons with side curtains. The reason for shipping just the chassis to Australia was that it reduced the weight and the freight cost and eliminated the possibility of the body being damaged while in transport. Very few of the Phaeton bodies made it back to the United States, as all of them were built in Australia. The example shown may be the only Phaeton-bodied Dictator in the United States.

The 1935 Dictators wore a longer, narrower grille with a rakish slant with a 'bird in flight' mascot. There were a pair of bullet-shaped headlight buckets and a swept V-shaped bumper. Its exterior is finished in deep red, and optional equipment includes the bumper guards, heater, radio, wheel trim rings, cigar lighter, and a Planar suspension.

When this vehicle arrived on American shores, it was converted to a left-hand drive configuration.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2018