Louis Schwitzer’s design innovation and excellence in engineering continues today.

May 19th, 2013

Louis “Louie” Schwitzer’s contributions to design innovation and excellence in engineering continues today.

In his honor, the Indiana Section of SAE International and BorgWarner present the BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award each year for innovation and engineering excellence in race car design at the Indianapolis 500.

The Schwitzer saga started on August 19, 1909, when a crowd of 15,000 persons gathered at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the inaugural weekend of racing. The winner of the first five mile race, Schwitzer, turned out to be an automotive engineer, not a professional racing car driver.

His car was a stripped down Stoddard Dayton touring car powered by a four cylinder engine. It traveled at an average speed of 57.4 miles per hour for five miles on the macadam track. The driver was nicknamed “Louie”.

Born in Austria, Louie had the advantage of a formal education in mechanical and design engineering. He left Austria at the turn of the century, arriving in America with only $18 in his pocket.

Louie entered the automobile industry as an engineer for Pierce Arrow, working on one of the first six-cylinder engines made in America. A chance meeting with industrialist Howard C. Marmon brought an invitation to Indianapolis.

Louie found the “action” he sought in Indianapolis with his new job as design engineer at Nordyke and Marmon. He helped design the famous “Marmon Yellow Jacket” engine which powered the winning Marmon racing car driven by Ray Harroun in winning the first Indy 500 in 1911. Later, Schwitzer joined the Atlas Engine Works as chief engineer. No longer a driver, Louie opted to join the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Technical Committee in 1912, serving as its chairman from 1919 through 1945.


Louis Schwitzer

Louis Schwitzer

Used with permission of the

National Automotive History Collection

at Detroit Public Library

Also in 1912, Louie joined the Empire Motor Car Company, leaving in 1914 to join the United States Army Motor Transport Corps. He was deeply involved in the design of class ‘B’ military trucks and the 150 240 mm gun mounts. In fact, Louie remained active in Ordnance affairs for the rest of his life.

After World War I, Louie felt he could serve the automotive industry better by improving upon existing cooling systems. He started his own business in a one room factory late in 1918 to manufacture automotive cooling fans. When asked by an interviewer why he chose a cooling fan as his first product, he calmly replied, “Because I know more about them than anyone”.

During the 1920′s, Schwitzer built probably the first high production super charger for gasoline and diesel engines in America. The experience gained in gear production from the oil pump business was easily transferred to ‘positive displacement’ (rotor) type superchargers, which used drive gears to time the revolving two or three lobe rotors. The first application was on a Stutz Bearcat.

After World War II, Schwitzer replaced the more wasteful gear driven superchargers with “turbo chargers” in which the impeller wheel was driven by a turbine wheel using spent exhaust gases. Schwitzer’s low cost, efficient turbochargers were introduced on the Cummins diesel powered racing car which won the pole position for the 1952 Indianapolis 500. Today, turbochargers are considered standard equipment on almost all diesel powered engines.

Louie Schwitzer retired from the Schwitzer Corporation (now Schwitzer Incorporated), in 1964 at age 83. He died three years later at his Indianapolis home. In recognition of this true automotive pioneer, the Indiana Section SAE annually presents the BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award for innovation and engineering excellence in race car design.


2013 Annual Louis Schwitzer Award winners

2013 Annual Louis Schwitzer Award winners

This year on Friday, May 17th, the award was given to Firestone engineers Dale Harrigle and Brett Schilling for their team’s efforts in developing the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tire. First introduced in 1995, the tire has demonstrated continuous innovation and excellence in engineering.

The Firestone team carries on the legacy of design innovation and excellence in engineering today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Publishers note: Nordyke & Marmon Co., Empire Motor Car Co., and Schwitzer Corporation were all Indianapolis based firms. Thus, Indianapolis and Indiana enjoyed Louis Schwitzer’s many accomplishments from the first days of the Speedway throughout his life.

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2013 Celebration of Automobiles a success

May 13th, 2013

Despite the cold weather, the 2013 Celebration of Automobiles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a visual treat. When the sun broke through the clouds shortly after 1 pm, the warmer temperature helped in presenting a good impression.


1925 Dusesenberg Model A

1925 Dusesenberg Model A

Indiana-built cars were well represented by Auburn, Cole, Cord, Duesenberg, Marmon, National, and Stutz entries. One that immediately caught my attention was Eric Killorin’s 1925 Dusesenberg Model A touring car. The car was eye-catching and Eric’s story was fascinating. Eric shared how his father came to Indianapolis in 1929 seeking employment at Duesenberg Motors Corporation. There were no skilled trades jobs immediately available, so, his father started as a floor sweeper and worked his up to working in final assembly in 1929 and 1930. This Duesenberg has been in the family since 1945. His father’s Duesenberg coveralls rested proudly on the car’s tonneau cover.


1930 Stutz SV16 Monte Carlo

1930 Stutz SV16 Monte Carlo

Right across Pagoda Plaza was Joseph & Margie Cassini’s 1930 Stutz SV16 Monte Carlo Sedan. This stunning car features a leatherette Weyman-American body produced in Indianapolis. These bodies were flexible, light-weight, and free of the squeaks and rattles that plagued conventional bodies. What a great example of these innovative designs.


1920 Cole 870 Aero-Eight

1920 Cole 870 Aero-Eight

Another interesting Indianapolis-built car was Beauford Hall’s 1920 Cole 870 Aero-Eight seven passenger touring car. This Cole represented the style and elegance of Cole’s offerings in the early 1920’s. At the time, Cole ranked second only to Cadillac among America’s high-priced automakers. You rode in style in this luxurious blue tourer. One unique feature of the car is the self-contained air compressor in the engine compartment.

The Celebration of Automobiles continues to grow into a can’t miss event for car aficionados. Everyone I talked to had stories to share about the cars they enjoy.

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Let’s Share our History

May 5th, 2013

One of the things I like about being an automotive historian is uncovering the story behind the business or events. A couple of times, I’ve been contacted by descendants of auto executives and workers wanting to share or learn information about their relatives.


1919 Premier sedan

1919 Premier sedan

Recently, I was contacted by the granddaughter of Dr. J. C. Flowers, a prominent physician and financier in Joliet, IL, who was the chief financial engineer of the syndicate that purchased Premier Motor Car Company in 1915. She further elaborates that her grandfather was president and general manager, as well as a member of the board of directors. She also notes the re-incorporation by her grandfather and the original syndicate of the Premier Motor Corporation on October 23, 1916. She referred me to Moody’s Analyses of Investments as an additional research resource.

This is all new information to me that was not reflected in my information resources or writing about Premier. She adds new light to the story about sharing our history.


1913 Henderson Roadster

1913 Henderson Roadster

Earlier this year one of the grandsons of Charles P. Henderson, president and sales manager of the Henderson Motor Car Company, contacted me wanting to know more about the company. I’ve found Henderson reference material to be scarce. I have a few copies of Henderson Bulletins and a couple photos, that’s about it.

But, while researching the Indianapolis Star digital archives at the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library website, I found information about the plant location and the company’s efforts to aid victims of Indianapolis’ March 1913 flood.

His inquiry prompted new discoveries that add to sharing his and our story.

I believe it is important to share the story of our ancestors whoever and whatever they did. In the past year I tried to piece together the story of my paternal grandfather, but the story was short because no one shared it in writing and photos.

So, what can we do for those who come after us? I suggest we write stories and collate photos of our fathers and mothers so that our descendants have some idea about their ancestors.

Everyone has a story. Let’s all contribute a small part in the story of life.

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Modern Highways are 100 Years Old

April 28th, 2013

While doing some research this spring, I remembered the birth of our modern highways are 100 years old. Sure, some of our roads and trails predate 1913, but those routes were the precursor’s of today’s modern highway system.

In 1913, 180,000 cars were registered in the nation of 2.5 million miles, but less than seven percent were improved in any fashion. Most travel was in urban areas, with travel into the country being attempted in fair weather. Rain quickly turned country roads into thigh-deep mud ruts, making travel extremely difficult. Many travelers had to enlist the aid of a nearby horse team to extract them from the quagmire. Good roads came as automotive transportation and commerce expanded across the nation.


1907 Maxwell

1907 Maxwell on roads of the day

On July 1, 1913, a group of automotive capitalists met in Detroit to form the Lincoln Highway Association. Their goal: “To procure the establishment of a continuous improved highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, open to lawful traffic of all description without toll charges: such highway to be known, in the memory of Abraham Lincoln, as “The Lincoln Highway.” All they needed was a route.

Realizing the importance of reawakening interest in the Good Roads Movement, the Indiana Automobile Manufacturers Association decided that its 1913 Indiana-Pacific Tour in addition to promoting Indiana-built automobiles should also generate interest for building better roads.


Marmon No 22

The Lincoln Highway sponsored Marmon

On the 1913 IAMA Indiana-Pacific Tour

When the IAMA Tour left Indianapolis on July 1, 1913, the tourists experienced some delay due to the rains and the enthusiastic reception along the way. The rain continued for more than half of the trip. There were some soft spots on some of the hills. This was evidence that improved roads were needed.

The trail blazing efforts, like those of the Lincoln Highway Association and the IAMA Tour, soon leveraged road improvement efforts. On September 16, 1914, G.S. Hoag, secretary of the Nevada Automobile Association, communicated an urgent plea to both branches of Congress that a measure appropriating a substantial sum of money for public roads be distributed to several states and furnish needed employment to thousands of idle men. Mr. Hoag suggested the Lincoln Highway as the one road demanding first consideration.

The Lincoln Highway was no highway in the spring of 1915. Instead of being a completed highway to San Francisco, it more resembled a mudhole extending form Illinois to Wyoming. For the most part, the route was marked, but the little real improvement previously accomplished had been quickly swallowed up by the floods of spring. The route would never be this bad again.


1915 Studebaker

A 1915 Studebaker somewhere in

Indiana on the 1915 Coast-to-Coast Film Tour

On July 11, 1916, affairs related to good roads took a decided turn for the better when President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916, the first of many that would eventually see the highways of America built at public expense. This act was the first to contain any real funding for the nation’s roads as a whole. It appropriated some $75 million to be spent over five years to improve rural post roads and $10 million to be expended in ten years on forest road construction and maintenance.

In November 1921, President Harding signed the Federal Highway Act of 1921. Like the 1916 act, this bill provided $75 million in federal money to be matched on an equal basis with state funds. This bill stated that federal aid should be concentrated upon “such projects as will expedite the completion of an adequate and connected system of highways, interstate in character.”

In 1924, The Bureau of Public Roads of the Federal Government estimated that within an additional 10 years we would see the adequate completion of a basic American highway system if congressional appropriations were continued at the present scale.

The LHA understood, from the first, that the greatest benefit from its investment in automotive transportation could only be realized to the extent permitted by adequate, connecting highway improvement.

The thanks for our modern high highway system goes back to the efforts of automotive pioneers over 100 years ago.

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Automotive Advertising Slogans

April 21st, 2013

One of the things I like about collecting automobilia is finding automotive advertising slogans. Here are some examples from Indiana-built automobiles.


1912 American Underslung ad

1912 American Underslung ad

Apperson 8 “The Eight with Eighty Less Parts”
American Simplex (later) Amplex “The valveless two-cycle car” and “The car that has no valves.”
American Underslung “A Car for Discriminating Buyers.”
Black Motor Buggy “Get There!”
Clark “A Car for Many Seasons”
Cole “There’s a touch of tomorrow in all that Cole does today.”
Duesenberg “The world’s finest motor car.”
Elcar “A well built car, tuned to the times.”
Elgin “Built like a watch” and “The car of the hour.”
Empire “The Little Aristocrat”
Haynes “The Birth of New Ideas”


1912 Inter-State ad

1912 Inter-State ad

Inter-State “The Automobile for Women”
International Scout “Wouldn’t you rather play hooky today…?”
LaFayette “You Have Always Known There Would Be Such a Car”
Lambert “Lambert, the father of friction drive.”
Lexington “Built to Stay Young”
Marion “Built to run and last for years.”
Marmon “The mechanical masterpiece” and “The Easiest Riding Car in the World.”
National Electric “Easy to Handle”


Scout ad

Contemporary Scout ad

Overland “The Rig You Have Been Looking For”
Pathfinder “King of Twelves”
Pilot “The Car Ahead”
Pope-Waverley “The Always Ready Automobile”
ReVere “America’s Incomparable Car”
Sears Motor Buggy “A child could run it.”
Star “Low cost transportation.”
Studebaker “Vehicle makers for the world.” and “First by far with a postwar car”
Tincher “Guaranteed for three years.”
Union “In Union there is strength.”
Waverley Electric “No Dirt, No Odor, No Grease, No Bother.”

I believe some of these are rather clever, but I don’t know if some of the others would ever prompt me to take a look at their car. Do contemporary automakers do any better? What do you think?

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Finding Your Way – Yesterday and Today

April 14th, 2013

In a time with Google Maps and GPS navigation systems, you have it easy finding your way along America’s highways. During the automobile’s early days even road signs were scarce.


Carl G. Fisher w 1912 Packard Runabout

Carl G. Fisher w 1912 Packard Runabout

A story about Carl G. Fisher, one of founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, illustrates the lack of adequate facilities for traveling any distance in the early days of the automobile. Around 1912, Fisher and a few friends were driving in unfamiliar territory nine miles outside Indianapolis’ city limits. Night fell along with a torrent of rain. In an open-top car, Fisher and his friends were drenched in seconds and miserably lost. There were no street lights to guide them in the pitch-black night, nor road signs marking the way.

They did, however, feel comfortable that they had guessed the way back home until they came to a three-way fork in the road. No one could be sure which fork to take, but someone thought he saw a sign at the top of a pole. Fisher lost the competition as to who would have to climb the pole to read the sign. So he shinnied up the pole and lit a match so that he could read the sign. One match after another was extinguished by the rain. Finally, one lit so that Fisher could read the sign – “Chew Battle Ax Plug.”

The experience may have contributed to Fisher’s vision in making night travel and long-distance drives a reality. He was instrumental in developing head light systems and building modern highway systems.

In 1913, few people had knowledge of roads beyond a 15-mile radius from home, and road maps and signs were nearly nonexistent west of Chicago, Illinois.

Guidebook’s provided some help, but one had to rely on local landmarks in directions. Here’s an example from 1916 Scarborough’s Official Tour Book Central States Edition to travel from Monument Circle in Indianapolis to Lebanon, IN, a 23.6 mile trip.
0.0 Leave Indianapolis at the Circle. Go north on Meridian St. ½ block. Turn left on Ohio St. 0.1 mile. Angle right onto Indiana Ave. and straight out.
0.7 Over canal bridge and straight out Indiana Ave.
1.3 Cross iron bridge over Fall Creek and angle left immediately onto Crawfordsville Rd. and Speedway Blvd.
2.0 Slow. Cross railroad.
2.6 Slow. Turn left thru archway and over concrete bridge at White River.
2.8 Turn right.
3.0 Indianapolis Canoe Club on right.
4.2 Flackville. Straight ahead.
5.1 Slow. Cross railroad.
7.8 Snacks. Straight ahead.
10.3 Boot Jack. Straight ahead.
11.6 Traders’ Point. Cross iron bridge and straight ahead.
12.2 Brick school on right. Up hill.
14.6 Iron Bridge.
15.2 Slow. Up hill and straight thru. Royalton.
17.8 Brick school on right. Straight road thru.
23.2 Angling crossroad. Straight ahead.
25.9 Slow. Cross railroad. End on Indianapolis Ave.
26.1 Turn left on Main St.
26.3 Lebanon. Court House on right. Turn right onto Lebanon St. E. A. Brenton Garage.


Hotel English 1916 ad

Hotel English 1916 ad

These tour books offered a plethora of information on hotels, garages, and other miscellaneous auto items. Indianapolis listings included the Hotel English on the northwest quadrant of Monument Circle (the terminus of all official auto routes), Horace F. Wood Garage at 210-16 N. Meridian St., Modern Electric & Machine Co. auto repairs at 936 Ft. Wayne Ave., The Briskin Mfg. Co. radiator repair 539-41 N. Capitol Ave., North Side Garage at 30th & Central Ave., French Steam Dye Works cleaners at 49 Monument Circle, Carl L. Rost jewelers at 25 N. Illinois St., Denison Billard Club in the Denison Hotel Lobby, Lieber’s Gold Medal Beer brewed by Indianapolis Brewing Co., and Dan Smith’s Bar at 117 N. Illinois St.

If you were planning a long automotive trip of any kind, it was wise to consult one of these guidebooks. In addition to the information noted above, the books provided information about official information stations and popular travel destinations like Shades State Park and French Lick Springs.

If you are looking for a touch of nostalgia, be sure to locate one of these guidebooks like Scarborough’s to travel off the beaten path. We use them to retrace some of the early Indiana auto routes.

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Made in Indiana 1913

April 9th, 2013

One hundred years ago, Indiana made a name for itself in the automotive industry, In spring 1913, Indiana ranked second among the states in the manufacturing of automobiles. More than 40 manufacturers of pleasure cars and commercial vehicles marketed their products with a total value exceeding $50,000,000. Plus, Indiana manufacturers won the first two Indianapolis 500 mile races in 1911 and 1912.

But the story of early success begins a few years prior. Indiana’s plentiful supply of lumber lured several industries into its borders, including the makers of carriages and wagons during the mid to late 1800’s. The automobile industry in this time frame was a natural offspring of carriage manufacturers, which could provide not just parts but skilled labor as well.


Elwood Haynes with his 1894 Pioneer

Elwood Haynes with his 1894 Pioneer

Elwood Haynes demonstrated one of America’s first gasoline automobiles along the outskirts of Kokomo, Indiana, on July 4, 1894. Nearly 20 years later Indiana was one of the leading automotive manufacturing states.

Instrumental to Indiana’s auto growth were Carl G. Fisher and James A. Allison, who met in Indianapolis during the bicycle craze of the early 1890’s. They went on to form the Prest-O-Lite Company to develop headlight systems. Their bicycling companion Arthur C. Newby was one of the founders of the Diamond Chain Company and the National Motor Vehicle Company. In 1909, these individuals along with Frank H. Wheeler founded the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to establish American automobile supremacy.

These are a sampling of the innovative Hoosier auto pioneers who contributed to the growth of Indiana’s auto industry.

The April 1913 American Motorist states “For though competition is as keen in Indiana as elsewhere, the attitude of the business man in the automobile industry in that State shows a spirit which is both refreshing and significant. The men of Indiana take a big and broad view that the market is large enough to take all of their products and pay good prices for them and that they can sell the output of their factories without crushing one another.”

American Motorist further notes “The fraternal spirit of the automobile men is crystallized in the Indiana Automobile Manufacturers Association. Like the Tribes of old, the men of Indiana annually marshal their forces and carry the banner of the Hoosier State through the villages and towns near their State.”

In 1912, during the IAMA’s Four-States Tour, 28 member vehicles participated in a 16-day trip through Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. In this way, the participants reached the eyes and ears of about 5,000,000 people. These tours were non-competitive events operated under a gentleman’s agreement, which agreement was kept in letter and spirit.

Made In Indiana
Said the man form California
To his friend from Bangor, Maine:
“Have you heard the latest slogan?
Have you caught the sweet refrain?”
Said the man from Bangor,
Yes, Sir,”
And they warbled forth this glee:
“If it’s made in Indiana,
Oh, it’s good enough for me!”
–W.M. Herschell, in the American Motorist, April 1913

I believe that Indiana’s skilled laborers, entrepreneurial Hoosier individuals, and the IAMA fostered a spirit of cooperation and collaboration that allowed the member companies to grow and prosper in the competitive automotive market of the early 1900’s.

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Cars are Still Made in Indiana Part Two

March 31st, 2013

At the end of the Great Recession in June 2009, cars are still made in Indiana with an upturn of auto manufacturing jobs.

“Over the 2000-2008 period, statewide auto worker employment in vehicle manufacturing was virtually constant at approximately 20,000,” reported IN Context, a publication from Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business. This number declined to about 15,000 auto workers at the end of the recession. The upturn in the auto manufacturing in 2012 produced reports of employment growth at Indiana’s plants.


2013 Toyota Camry SE

2013 Toyota Camry SE
Copyright © 2013 Toyota Motor Manufacturing

Changes on the automotive manufacturing landscape included Subaru-Isuzu Automotive in Lafayette changing its name to Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. in 2003. The company discontinued production of Isuzu vehicles in 2004, and began to build the Toyota Camry in 2007.

Plus, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana in Princeton discontinued production of the Tundra in 2008 and commenced producing Sienna in 2003 and Highlander in 2009.


Honda Plant Dedication

Honda Plant Dedication
Copyright © 2008 Honda Manufacturing of Indiana

Honda Manufacturing of Indiana in Greensburg started building the Civic in 2008 and will add the Civic Hybrid and Acura ILX sedan in 2013.
AM General in Mishawaka sold the marketing rights to the civilian Hummer brand to General Motors (rebranded by GM as the H1) in 1999. AM General continued production of the H1 until June 2006. AMG built a separate factory in Mishawaka in 2002 to build a new Hummer H2, designed by and marketed by General Motors. Production of the Hummer H2 ended in 2008. The company began assembling Vehicle Production Group’s MV-1 on September 21, 2011. The MV-1 is the first factory-built vehicle which meets or exceeds the vehicle guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2011, the military determined that the HMMWV had reached the end of its service life and the contracts ended in March 2012. In August 2012, AMG announced that it would produce 22 prototypes of its Blast Resistant Vehicle – Off road (BRV-O) for government testing for the U.S. military’s new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).


2012 Chevrolet Silverado

2012 Chevrolet Silverado at Fort Wayne Assembly
Copyright © 2012 General Motors Corporation

The General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly Truck Plant has produced Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks in Indiana since late 1986. The Chevrolet Silverado HD won the 2011 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Award and the 2010 GMC Sierra LD was voted Best in the Full Size Pickup segment.
Although diminished, Indiana continues in its role of producing automobiles in America.

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What Everybody Ought to Know about Auto Advertising in the 1940’s

March 24th, 2013

In the 1930’s, advertising was restrained, but the upper end of the market saw the premier of lifestyle advertising. Studebaker’s advertising reflected what was occurring across the industry in the prewar 1940′s. We see a continuation of black and white photos with sidebars. The use of color is restrained.


1940 Studebaker Champion

1940 Studebaker Champion ad
Copyright © 1940 Studebaker Corp.

Studebaker’s April 1940 National Geographic ad promoted, “This spring Rediscover America in a Studebaker.” The sidebar read, “Overseas travel is out of the question this spring of 1940 of course. So why not decide to see your own America at its loveliest? Enjoy the fascinating spectacle of Nature awakening from her winter slumber. Get started now before the highways are thronged.” The photograph showed a Studebaker Commander Cruising Sedan at Bright Angel Lodge, Grand Canyon.

Studebaker’s October 1941 National Geographic ad portrayed its building of war material. It uses two illustrations: one of the B-17 flying fortress and the other of the US6 2 1/2-ton, 6×6 truck. The main photograph that takes up about half a page is of a President Eight sedan arriving at a military ball. The copy read, “And thanks to the resourcefulness and research of Studebaker’s engineering and production staffs, materials critical to national defense have been released for that purpose — without any impairment of Studebaker’s traditional standards of quality.”


1943 Studebaker Cyclone Engines

1943 Studebaker Cyclone Engines ad
Copyright © 1943 Studebaker Corp.

Studebaker’s wartime advertisements are typical of the era in promoting its production of various items. In its April 1943 National Geographic ad, Studebaker mentions that it’s America’s oldest manufacturer of highway transportation. The last copy line read, “Today, as for generations past, Studebaker craftsmen make their watchword — ‘give more than you promise.’ Every Studebaker employee is justly proud of the achievements of his organization in the arming of our Nation and its Allies.” An August 1943 ad heralds, “Studebaker’s big military trucks stand out in all the major war zones.”

Postwar automobile advertising broke out of the doldrums caused by wartime production restraints. The time was a seller’s market where manufacturers sold every car and truck they could make.


1947 Studebaker Champion

1947 Studebaker Champion ad
Copyright © 1947 Studebaker Corp.

Studebaker’s 1947 advertisements used color photographs to announce, “Studebaker — First by far with a postwar car.” One ad showed a 4-door Champion Regal De Luxe sedan in a southwestern town setting with a group looking at the new offering. Some of the copy promoted, “So many heads turn to look, your first trips around town, you know for certain you were smart to wait and get this Studebaker’s real postwar styling.” An additional twist on lifestyle advertising is the smaller photo of a father and son Studebaker work team with copy that talked about their pride of craftsmanship.


1948 Studebaker Commander

1948 Studebaker Commander ad
Copyright © 1948 Studebaker Corp.

Studebaker’s 1948 Esquire ad extended the postwar lifestyle further. A rich color photo shows a couple proudly posed in the grass in front of their Commander Regal De Luxe convertible. The tagline read, “Dream car for a heavenly honeymoon!” The copy elaborates, “This honeymoon actually is a threesome, believe it or not. Look close and you see a welcome ‘third’ on the trip. It’s that thrill-packed new Studebaker convertible.”


1949 Crosley

1949 Crosley ad
Copyright © 1949 Crosley Corp.

Crosley advertised its restyled models in 1949. A January 1949 tagline read, “Crosley — Announces Big New Models! — Hundreds of Improvements.” Black and white drawings of the DeLuxe Sedan and Station Wagon are used. Small type mentions, “speed line styling.” Bold type delineates engine specifications like improved compression ratio and greater economy, and closed with, “So drive a Crosley — the new style leader that saves you money by the mile!”

Auto advertising of this time reflected what is going across the industry in wartime 1940’s and then demonstrates the optimism of the post-war era.

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Indianapolis-built cars at the 1910 New York Auto Show

March 17th, 2013

It is interesting how two Indianapolis auto manufacturers marketed their wares at the 1910 New York Auto Show. Both exhibitors touted their recent successes at 1909 Inaugural events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.


1909 Nordyke & Marmon ad

1909 Nordyke & Marmon ad
Copyright © 1909 Nordyke & Marmon Co.

Nordyke & Marmon featured their “Thirty-Two” models with the racer that Ray Harroun drove to victory in the 10-mile Free-for-All Handicap race on Thursday, August 19, 1909. Other show models included touring car, suburban, and roadster models.

These Marmons showcased their patented oil pressure lubrication system that was introduced in 1904. This use of full-pressure lubrication was the earliest application of a system that has long since become universal to internal combustion engine design.

These 1910 models also utilized a trans-axle unit rear end. This arrangement afforded easy inspection and servicing of the single unit. Oversized brakes with an adjusting feature showed careful forethought in design. The equipment on the Marmon was of exceptionally high quality.


1909 National Motor Vehicle ad

1909 National ad
Copyright © 1909 National Motor Vehicle Co.

The display of the National Motor Vehicle Co. centered around National “40” models with one five-passenger touring car, one four-passenger toy tonneau, one two-passenger Speedway model, and a reproduction of the stock models they had been using in speed contests at the Atlanta Speedway, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Vanderbilt Cup race.

National’s exhibit centered on an unfinished National “40” chassis. This model with a list price at $2,500 was a worthy successor to the company’s previous car. This 40 horsepower model offered a great deal more power, a longer wheelbase, a roomier interior, larger wheels, and tires for less money. The company felt the National “40” covered all of the requirements of the average purchaser who was seeking to get more for his money each year.

National was proud of its racing heritage and emphasized its undefeated string of class hill climb wins and its share of speedway victories. The company pride showed with introduction of National “40” model for the 1910 season.

In the early days of the automobile, Indianapolis-built cars were proudly displayed across the country.

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