1929 Studebaker Commander

Dual Cowl Phaeton
Chassis number: 8010780

This is the only Studebaker Commander Straight Eight with a Dual Cowl Phaeton body style ever created. It was given a full body-off restoration; upon completion, it was put on display at the 2004 Meadow Brook Concours. It retains its original coachwork and is finished in white with a taupe beltline and fenders, black Connolly leather interior, and side-mount spare tires.

Power is from a 250 cubic-inch L-head eight-cylinder engine offering 80 horsepower at 3600 RPM. There is a three-speed gearbox and four-wheel mechanical brakes.

In 2008, this one-off Studebaker Dual Cowl Phaeton was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA. The car was estimated to sell for $80,000 - $100,000 and was offered without reserve. As the gavel fell for the third and final time, the car had been sold for $74,800, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster

This 1929 Studebaker Commander Regal 2-Door Roadster wears an older restoration. There are dual side-mounted tires and a rumble seat. The car was once owned by the popular singer, AL Jolson. When new, the car sold for $1,595.

by Dan Vaughan

The Studebaker Commander was produced for several years, representing several body style changes, and first appeared in the 1920s. The company continued to use the name until its demise in 1966. There were only a few years where the Commander did not appear in Studebaker's line-up during that time; those were in 1936 and 1959-1963.

When the name first appeared in 1927, it was Studebaker's middle-series. As the years progress, it would move up and down market, often changing positions from year to year. The name would continue until it was dropped in 1935, only to reappear in 1937, where it served as the company's least expensive model, taking the place of the previous Studebaker Dictator. The company had decided to do away with the 'Dictator' name, due to the negative political connectors associated with the name. Mainly, Adolf Hitler in Germany had tainted the word 'dictator.'

The Commander moved up-market in 1939 when Studebaker introduced the Champion model. After the Second World War, Studebaker dropped its President moniker and repositioned the Commander in its place. At the same time, Studebaker introduced an extended-wheelbase model known as the Land Cruiser.

The President name reappeared in 1955; the President model became the premium model range, and the Commander was demoted to the mid-range model. The name would continue until 1958 and reappear in 1963 for the 1964 model range. It was positioned next to the lowest-priced Lark model and above the entry-level Challenger model.

by Dan Vaughan