National Studbaker Museum

After the RV-MH Museum, the four of us set out to tour the Studebaker Museum. Our first stop was lunch at Tippecanoe, the name of the Clement Studebaker Mansion completed in 1889 and located a couple of blocks from the museum. It is a magnificent 26,000 square foot stone structure with a tile roof. The dining room is formal, service is grand, and the prices are fair. After lunch we were permitted to roam from room to room on all three floors of this lovely old home, which has been totally converted into an exquisite, multi-room restaurant. The fine furnishings are not original, but they conform to the age and architecture of the mansion. We then proceeded outside to photograph the lush lawn and stately structure. The five Studebaker brothers, who came from Germany in the middle 1800s, were best known as master wagon and carriage builders prior to the Civil War. They sold wagons to the Union Army and became the largest wagon manufacturer in the world. They even fashioned the carriage that carried the body of President Lincoln through the streets of Washington, DC. Clement Studebaker died in 1901 at the age of 70; his brothers and sons continued the business.

The Studebaker Brothers evolved with the times as the automobile began to appear toward the end of the 19th Century. They were the only wagon manufacturing company to make a successful transition from horse drawn vehicles to automobiles. They entered the market with an electric car in 1902 and were soon producing quality gasoline-powered cars and trucks in Detroit. Their famous wagons continued to be built in South Bend. By 1912 the brothers had sold their manufacturing holdings to a financial firm. Studebaker produced thousands of powerful, style-setting cars for over 50 years, but sales dragged in the 1950s, and Packard purchased the company in 1954. The famous Studebaker name and avant-garde styling remained prominent on automobiles and trucks until 1966 when the last Studebaker rolled off the assembly line. The classy Avanti sports car is still a highly sought-after vehicle as is the sturdy Studebaker pickup truck with its wrap-around rear window.

We recall that in 1946, just after World War II, America was hungry for new cars and trucks. Studebaker was the talk of the town with its totally new, speedy, low profile, streamline design. Ford, GM, and Chrysler were still building big “tanks” like their pre-war designs. (See photo of the burgundy and green vehicles.) However, three years later all manufacturers began lowering their vehicles, and the boxy style became pervasive. People were saying, “You can’t tell whether they’re coming or going.” Meanwhile, labor unions were constantly demanding more benefits and higher wages. Hello Japan!

It was great seeing all of those elegant, mint, vintage Studebakers in the museum. Some of our favorites are shown here. One 1920s model had set a transcontinental record, going from New York City to San Francisco in just 77 hours and 40 minutes. A “big six cylinder” model of that era had traveled over 475,000 miles.

The museum was also featuring a Portrait of Lincoln Exhibit, including his Studebaker Coffin Carriage alluded to above. Photos were not permitted in the exhibit. While both Kentucky and Illinois claimed Lincoln, he actually lived in Indiana from age 8 to 21.

Oh yes, we took one more tour on the museum grounds. It was the J.D. Oliver home, Copshaholm, which looks a lot like the Tippecanoe but not as large. Again, no interior photos were allowed. The Olivers were famous plow manufacturers and friends of the Studebakers. Oliver eventually became a famous tractor name, and Gloria’s father owned two of them.

Following our two museum tours, we still had enough energy to stop by Notre Dame University. Their campus is spacious and beautiful. It was time for a cup of coffee and a pastry at their large, comprehensive bookstore.