Industrial designer Raymond Loewy created the distinctive look of many Studebaker models from the late 1930s into the 1960s. The bullet-nose front and the wrap-around rear window are hallmarks of this Studebaker design. The economical but innovative and safe Studebakers offered a Hill Holder feature, power antenna, and child-proof rear door locks as options. Despite its 1954 merger with Packard, Studebaker closed its doors in South Bend IN in 1964, ending 112 years of first wagon and then automobile and truck production. Specifications of the Studebaker Commander Starlight Coupe: V-8 engine; displacement 232.6 cubic inches; 120 horsepower; 115 inch wheelbase; price new $1,933; built in South Bend IN in 1951; donated by Robert and Shirley Wilson in 1996.

This 1951 Studebaker represents the 1950s in our '100 Years of Route 66' exhibit.