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Whistle-Stopper. The new Studebaker's radical styling is not merely for the sake of a new look; many of the changes have a basic engineering purpose. The center of gravity was lowered to lessen sway and make the car hold the road better. The wheelbase was lengthened to 120½ in. for smoother riding, the hood sloped forward for better visibility, the rear fenders were made in two sections (instead of one) for easier and cheaper repairing. The body is almost clear of chrome, and is so well streamlined that at top speeds there is almost no wind whistle.
Studebaker will make the car at first only in a five-passenger hard top and a five-passenger coupé, later will add a convertible. There is a choice of a six-cylinder, 85-h.p., or an eight-cylinder, 120-h.p. engine—little changed from last year: at a time when almost every other automaker is rapidly stepping up the horsepower of his engines, Studebaker's Vance is a holdout. Says he: "100 m.p.h. should be fast enough for anybody."*
To hedge its bet, Studebaker is also bringing out a "bread & butter" line of twelve other models much less radically changed. Nevertheless, Studebaker expects its sports hard top and coupé to catch on so well that it is scheduling 40% of this year's production (350,000 cars) in coupés and hard tops. They are priced at $1,868 to $2,374 (f.o.b. South Bend)—$11 to $113 cheaper than similar models last year. Four-door prices are virtually unchanged ($1,735 to $2,315). Optional equipment: automatic transmission about $220, and power steering $150.
Coming or Going? The new car is the product of the designing skill of Raymond Loewy, a sports car owner himself, and Vance's consuming desire to keep in competition by his policy of calculated risk. In 1947, when Studebaker could have sold anything on wheels and had no need to change its design, it brought out a completely restyled car. Its glassy showcase look and its rounded front and rear stirred up no end of talk—which was just what Vance wanted. He was well aware that Studebaker could not afford to match advertising budgets with motordom's Big Three. The car had to advertise itself. Said Loewy: "We knew it would if it would be fresh and gay and young-looking —what the French call witty."