1954 Studebaker Commander

Regal Station Wagon

1954 was a milestone year for Studebaker, as the company merged with the Packard Motor Car Company in June to become the Studebaker-Packard Corporation.

The two-door Conestoga station wagon body style was a new offering by Studebaker for the 1954 model year and was continued through 1955.

The car is powered by a Studebaker-built V-8 motor coupled to a three-speed transmission with overdrive. The car is also equipped with 'hill holder,' which prevents the car from rolling back on hills. This Commander Regal Conestoga Station Wagon is also equipped with factory accessory wire wheel covers.

Deluxe Starlight Coupe

The Studebaker Commander Starlight Coupe, designed by Raymond Loewy in 1954, was the first all-new Studebaker since 1947. Although it had a relatively old-fashioned V8 engine beneath its hood, the low-slung European design was far ahead of its time.

This car was first purchased by William Babich of East Pittsburgh and remained with him for 60 years. He cared for this car so much that only his wife and a niece were allowed in the car - and they could not wear any clothing with buttons or zippers for fear of scratching the paint. From 1954 to 1959, Babich put just 6,683 miles on the car, using it only during the summer months. In 1960 he stopped using the car altogether but would start it once a month and then drive it once a year to have it inspected. From 1963 to the present, the car has only covered 80 miles. After William passed away, the Babich family made sure the car went to someone who would treasure it as much as William had done.

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