1919 Studebaker Big Six

The foundation of the Studebaker Company began in 1852 and was incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company. Remembered for its motorcar production, the company began as a coachbuilder, manufacturing buggies, carriages, wagons, and harnesses. Experimentation with the horseless carriage began before the turn of the century, with sales of its Studebaker Electric (designed by Thomas Alva Edison) commencing in 1902. Gasoline-engine car production, in partnership with A.L. Garford of Elyria, Ohio, began in 1904. This eight-horsepower twin-cylinder motorcar was joined by a twin-cylinder 16hp chain-driven model in 1904, followed by a 0hp 'four' with shaft drive in 1905. With chassis supplied by the A.L. Garford Company, the cars were marketed under the 'Studebaker-Garford' name up to 1911.

Studebaker commenced an association with the E-M-F company in 1908 and eventually took over the Detroit-based manufacturer in 1910 to form the Studebaker Corporation on January 1st, 1911. At this time, Studebaker severed its like with Garford.

Operating under its own name, the Studebaker Corporation offered a range of four-cylinder models - the Model G-8 and G-10 (40 and 30 horsepower, respectively). The company's first six-cylinder model arrived in 1913, the Model E, and is considered to be the first mass-produced 'six' to have its cylinders cast en bloc. The Studebaker four-cylinder engine displaced 192.4 cubic inches for many years; in 1916, its displacement grew to 235.6 cubic inches. Studebaker continued to offer four-cylinder models up to 1920, when the range became sixes only.

The Studebaker Bix Six
The Studebaker Big Six was produced between 1918 and 1926 and was named for its 127-inch wheelbase, seven inches larger than the Special Six at 120 inches. In use for nearly a decade, the Big Six was renamed the President (ES) in 1927 and was soon joined by a smaller (but having two additional cylinders) straight-eight engine powering the new top-of-the-line models after January 1928.

- Model EG: 1918 to 1921
- Model EK: 1922 to 1924
- Model EP: 1925 to 1926

By May of 1917, Studebaker had been reorganized under the leadership of Fred Zeder, and work commenced on a completely new line of motor cars that would accommodate a wide range of needs and uses worldwide. The new models birthed from their efforts were the Light Four, Light Six and the Big Six. In 1920, the Light Six was rebranded the Special Six. Regardless of size or stature, the cars built by Studebaker were well-engineered and constructed. Except for the parts required for the larger bore of the Big Six, virtually all the engine parts, accessories, and chassis components are identical on both cars.

The Big Six was offered as a four-door touring car from 1918 to 1920, with a wider assortment of body styles becoming available beginning with the 1921 model year.

The Big Six's straight-6 engine initially displaced 353.8 cubic inches and produced 60 bhp at 2,000 RPM. It had a cast iron block, 4.1:1 compression, solid valve lifters, a Ball & Ball one-barrel carburetor, an L-head configuration, and four main bearings. It was paired with a three-speed selective sliding transmission with an aluminum cone clutch with leather facing and floor-mounted gearshift controls. Four-wheel hydraulic brakes became a new extra-cost option for 1925. Updates to the engine for 1926 included a compression ratio of 4.45:1 and an increase in horsepower to 75 bhp at 2,400 RPM.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2024