1929 Studebaker President Eight

Production of motor vehicles by the Studebaker Company of South Bend, Indiana, began in the late 1890s, selecting electricity as their first power source. Gasoline engines were eventually introduced in the 1910s, and the President model in 1926 as its top-of-the-line offering. The name would carry on until 1955.

The Studebaker President received a new double drop frame and safety glass windshield in 1929. The frame allowed the Presidents a more modern appearance and lower and slightly wider bodies. The eight-cylinder L-head engine, designed by Barney Roos (head of engineering for Studebaker), displaced 337 cubic inches and offered 114 horsepower. The President Eight FE had a wheelbase size of 135 inches while the FH rested on a shorter 125-inch platform. The shorter wheelbase body styles included a roadster, cabriolet, 5-passenger sedan, station sedan, and a victoria. The long-wheelbase could be fitted with six catalog body styles, with all but one being seven-passenger coachwork. Standard equipment included a gas gauge, speedometer, coincidental lock, clock, engine thermometer, Trico vacuum wiper, tail and stop lamp, and a cigar lighter. Other features included Houdaille twin-type hydraulic shock absorbers, tire lock, Kelsey-Hayes wood wheels, spring covers, and a spare rim. The Victorias, Cabriolets, Broughams, State sedans, and Limousines came with dual side-mount spares.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019