1923 Studebaker Light Six

The Studebaker Wagon Company built horse-drawn carriages for half a century, and they proudly boasted that they were the largest manufacturer in the world. During the Civil War, the company made a fortune from supplying Northern forces with wagons, and by the turn of the century, were involved with the new Horseless carriage, supplying bodies to several electric car manufacturers. The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company built the first of its own automobiles in 1902 and its first gasoline-powered motor car late in 1903. The electric had been designed by Thomas Alva Edison, and the gasoline-powered car was an 8-horsepower twin. A twin-cylinder 16hp chain-driven model was added in 1904, followed in 1905 by a 20hp 'four' with shaft drive. Both of these models used chassis supplied by A L Garford of Elyria, Ohio, and up to 1911, their cars were marketed under the 'Studebaker-Garford' name.

Studebaker began an association with the E-M-F company in 1908, initially marketing its cars and eventually taking over the Detroit-based manufacturer in 1910 to form the Studebaker Corporation on January 1st, 1911. At this time, the Garford name was dropped. At the time, the company's four-cylinder range included the 40-horsepower Model G-8 and the 30-horsepower Model G-10.

In 1913, the company added a six-cylinder model to its lineup, dubbed the Model E. This was the first mass-produced 'six' to have its cylinders cast en bloc. By 1920, Studebaker automobiles were solely powered by six-cylinder engines.

The Studebaker Light Six
Studebaker introduced the Light Six in 1918 and it would later become the 'Special Six.' Its 119-inch wheelbase was larger than the 112-inch platform used by the 'Light Four' and slightly smaller than the 120-inch wheelbase of the 'Big Six.' The Light Six had a 288.6 cubic-inch engine delivering 50 horsepower, the Light Four displaced 192.4 CID and produced 40 hp, while the Bix Six employed a 353.8 CID six with 60 horsepower. Each of these had a three-speed selective sliding transmission with an aluminum cone clutch with leather facing, and external contracting brakes on the rear wheels.

From 1920 to 1924, the Studebaker lineup consisted of the 'entry level' Light Six, the 'intermediate' Special Six, and the top-of-the-range 'Big Six.' Wheelbase sizes were 112-, 119-, and 126-inches, respectively, and displacement measured 207.1 CID (Light Six), 288.6 CID (Special Six), and 353.8 CID (Big Six). Output, respectively, measured 40, 50, and 60 hp.

Although Studebaker had a 'Light Six' in 1918 and 1919, the 1920 Studebaker Light Six was all new, as the previous model became the Special Six. Body styles included a four-door tourer priced at $1,485, a two-door Landaulet Roadster at $1,650 and a Sedan at $2,150. In 1921, the Landaulet Roadster was replaced by a roadster, and a coupe roadster joined the list. Approximately 7,000 examples of the Light Six were built in 1920, followed by around 28,000 the following year. Approximately 49,000 examples were built in 1922 and around 118,022 were built from 1923 to 1924.

The Light Six had an attractive and modern design with a flat radiator shell with a square opening for the radiator core. The hood was shorter and the doors were larger than previous body styles, and the body-colored radiator wore a circular Studebaker badge. The cowl panel had an upward sweep, and in 1922, it gained small coach lights. A new air ventilator was added to the top of the cowl, and a breather tube was added to the crankcase. The rear fenders now had a reverse inward curve.

Most of the Light Six vehicles received a black paint scheme and rode on wooden spoke artillery-style wheels.

The 1923 Studebaker Light Six Model EM Series 23
The 1923 Studebaker Light Six continued to rest atop the 112-inch wheelbase and rode on 31 x 4-inch tires (down slightly from the 32 x 4-inch tires used the previous year). The engine continued to be the L-head inline-6 displacing 207.1 cubic inches with a cast iron block and aluminum cylinder head. It had solid valve lifters, a Stromberg one-barrel carburetor, 4.1:1 compression, and produced 40 horsepower at 2,000 RPM. The transmission was a three-speed manual with floor-mounted gearshift controls. Stopping power was via external contracting brakes on the rear wheels.

The body style list continued to include a roadster, coupe, tourer, and sedan. A bare chassis could also be ordered and bodied to the owner's specifications.

Among the list of optional accessories were nickel double-bar bumpers, double rear-mounted spares, a MotoMeter, Budd wire-spoke wheels, an outside rear-view mirror, a rear-mounted luggage rack, a touring trunk, wind wings, and spotlights.

The Light Six was renamed the Studebaker Standard Six in August 1924. In 1928, the Standard became the Dictator.

By the time Studebaker moved to Canada in 1964, it was the country's oldest automobile manufacturer and among the longest-lived car builders in the world.

Like many Midwestern manufacturers of their era, Studebaker's early automobiles were smaller two-cylinder vehicles, eventually progressing into larger, grander ones.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2023