1934 Studebaker Commander Land Cruiser

In 1934, the ninth-ranked Studebaker came out with a daring new design. Heavily influenced by the Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow of 1933, the avant-grade Land Cruiser was available in the Dictator, Commander, and President series.

The highly-stylized Land Cruiser body featured a unique four-window pane rear view, coupled with a sloping fastback style that was influenced by European streamlined 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, a 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 an 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 by the NB Center from Max Rubin of Virginia, a known Studebaker Club enthusiast. It has been fully restored by the previous owner and shown along the East Coast for many years.