Studebaker · 1933–1954

Studebaker Land Cruiser

The Studebaker Land Cruiser is an automobile that was produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (United States) from 1934 to 1954. The Land Cruiser debuted at the World's Fair alongside the Silver Arrow, a product of Studebaker's former premium make Pierce-Arrow. It was also manufactured in Vernon, California.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

All Studebaker Land Cruiser data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

1933–1942

The Land Cruiser was introduced at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair as an extensively streamlined sedan. Many of the same aerodynamic features of the car were shared with Pierce-Arrow's Silver Arrow show car that also debuted at the fair when Studebaker assumed operations of Pierce-Arrow in 1928. Work on both automobiles was authorized prior to the company being placed in receivership in March 1933, and Pierce being sold to investors. Production Land Cruisers began to appear in dealer showrooms in the fall of 1933 as 1934 models. The Land Cruiser was designated as a body style, and classified in the President model range (C Series) for the year. It retailed for $1,510. The body style was shared with the President and Commander series for 1936. From 1937–1940, the car was classified as the Commander Cruiser and President Cruiser. The Land Cruiser name officially returned in 1941 and 1942. In addition to offering its Land Cruisers in the Commander and President lines, for 1941 Studebaker introduced the ultra-luxurious Skyway Land Cruiser which featured a slightly curved single-pane windshield, rear fender skirts and premium details and fabrics.

1947–1952 models

The 1947 Studebaker models were so revolutionary that it had other car builders scurrying back to their drawing boards. While other manufacturers settled for re-chroming their pre-war models, the 1947 Studebaker, touted as "First by Far with a Postwar Car", had a completely new body. The new Land Cruiser exclusively rode the company's longest wheelbase (124 in (3,100 mm)), which provided additional legroom for rear seat passengers. It featured center-opening, rear-hinged rear suicide doors and was powered by the larger of Studebaker's two straight-6 engines. The Land Cruiser suggested price of $2043 included a one-piece curved windshield, an electric clock and carpeting front and rear. Only minor trim changes for 1948 brought a Land Cruiser price of $2265, and in 1949 it was increased to $2328 ($31,501 in 2025 dollars ). Since it was a seller's market after WWII, Studebaker felt no need to change the basic design of the car, even though they knew that other makers would have “new” cars in 1949. Studebaker coasted along with the old bodies until 1952. But 1950 saw the “Next Look in Cars" — Studebaker's answer to the other manufacturer's 1949 models. Considered very radical for the era, it had three-point front styling, popularly known as the “bullet-nose”, similar in style to the 1949 Ford. Over 10,000 more Land Cruisers were sold in 1950 than in 1949. Studebaker Automatic Drive was introduced mid-year and was arguably the most advanced automatic transmission of the day. It featured reverse gear lock-out, hill-holder, anti-creep and a locking torque converter which allowed direct drive with virtually no converter power loss in high gear. The price of the 1950 Land Cruiser went down to $2187. Sales in 1951 skyrocketed, an increase of almost 12,000 over 1950. This can prob

1953–1954 models

The 1953 Land Cruisers were complete departure from the ’47-’52 models. The 1953 model sold retail for $2316 ($27,870 in 2025 dollars ). They were built on the same frame as the new Starliner and Starlight coupe models but, as with many new models, there were some initial problems, primarily with the fit of the front fenders. With the engine out of the car, they fit. With the engine in the car, they didn’t. This was found to be primarily the fault of using a thinner gauge steel for the frame. The theory was that if the frame could flex a little, the car would ride better. The problem was, it flexed too much. If you jacked up one corner of the car, to change a tire, for example, the frame flexed so much that you could either not open the door or could not close it. There were also fewer frame re-enforcements than in subsequent years. As you might imagine, this problem caused many a late night conference and hasty fixes and tended to give the new model a bad name almost immediately. Then a problem with the new (and revolutionary, for its day) mechanical power steering raised its head. It only required 2 psi (0.14 bar) of pressure to turn the steering wheel but it was noisy. Only 100 of these units were sold before Studebaker began using GM Saginaw type units. The Studebaker company had a problem with the Mercedes-Benz company. A few years in the future, Studebaker would be the American distributor for that brand, but in 1953, the M-B tri-star emblem was turned upside down and put on the front and rear of Studebaker cars, minus the encircling ring. (Mercedes-Benz cars were still relatively unknown in America at that time, so most people probably would never have drawn any connection between the two brands.) In the upper part, the Commander had a gold “8” while the Champion

Follow-ups and legacy

Top-trimmed Studebakers from 1955–1958 went by the Studebaker President name (revived from the prewar President models). For 1956, an upscale President Classic sedan was offered. The President Classic used the longer 120.5" wheelbase of the Hawks, and like the 1947–1950 Land Cruisers used the additional length to create a roomier rear passenger area. The President Classic was continued for 1957–1958, though no longer carrying the "Classic" model name. After a four-year run, The President models, in turn, were dropped at the end of 1958 to make way for the new compact Lark model. A longer wheelbase version of the Lark sedan was offered for fleet sales. Dubbed the Economiler, it was marketed for use as a taxicab, again featuring a roomier back seat area than the regular Larks. For the 1961, Studebaker added a Lark model, the Cruiser, which continued through the 1966 model year. This model was built on the longer wheelbase chassis and was a better equipped and more luxurious version of the 4-door Lark and was designed to harken back to the Studebaker Land Cruiser sedans of the late Forties and early Fifties.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Studebaker Land Cruiser

Manufacturer

Studebaker

Production

1933–1954

Assembly

Studebaker Automotive Plant, South Bend, Indiana, United States, Studebaker Automotive Plant, Vernon, California, United States

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2358195CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker_Land_CruiserCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1322563535 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daddoug53.JPGCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Dougmays at English Wikipedia Later versions were uploaded by Stude62 at en.wikipedia. · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

More from Studebaker