1948 Studebaker M Series

High bid of $20,000 at 2016 Mecum : Monterey. (did not sell)
Family farm trucks often have great stories. This Studebaker is no exception. 65 years working on an Alabama farm with its original buyer, it's taken by the owner's grandson and restored as a birthday gift. Off-the-line on 1/28/48, the M15A is essentially a 3/4-ton military, or US6, (government-style swing-out windshield) truck that was civilianized. Thus you can guarantee toughness and reliability. The military trucks were used in WWII in South-East Asia and Russia. All M15s used the Commander 169 cubic-inch 6-cylinder Studebaker motor and T9 4-speed crash gearbox.

Studebaker manufactured trucks throughout most of their existence, beginning with electric-powered trucks from 1902-12. Afterward, the company switched to gasoline engine trucks and built them until the company closed its doors in 1966.

In the late 1930s, Studebaker introduced their M Series Truck which was available in several different configurations both before and after World War II. The 1/2-ton version was the M-5, followed by the 3/4-ton M15. The M15A was a 1 and 1-1/2 ton version. All these were powered by the Champion six-cylinder, 169 cubic-inch engine mated to a T9 crash box 4-speed gearbox. The Commander 226 ci engine was available on the M16 1-1/2 & 2-ton versions.

During wartime, Studebaker produced the US6 version for the military. It was built to government specifications and came fitted with a different nose and engine configuration. It was available in both 4x6 and 6x6 versions of a 2-1/2 ton truck.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2013