The Studebaker Century; A National Heritage

Contoocook, NH: Dragonwyck Publishing, 1983. First Edition [Stated], First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Good. Russ von Sauers (Special Art). Format is approximately 8.75 inches by 11.25 inches. 192 pages. Decorated front cover. Profusely illustrated. Preface by Marvin F. Studebaker. Footnotes. Some page foxing noted. This is a Dragonwyck National Heritage Series Book. A delightful history of the Studebaker heritage - showing the history from the buggy to the more recent Studebakers this book provides the reader with the complete history not only in words but in black and white photographs. Asa Hall had a lifelong interest in wheeled transportation and its history, specifically that of horse drawn vehicles, motor cars and trucks, agricultural equipment, and railroads. His collection of antique vehicles included three horse drawn vehicles, 13 farm tractors and 36 motorized antique cars and trucks. He also held membership in over 20 organizations representing the above mentioned types of transportation and transportation history. He was co-author of the hard cover book THE STUDEBAKER CENTURY. Additionally, he authored numerous articles on Studebaker history. He served on The Board of Directors of six national and international organizations dealing with the history of transportation, one of which he founded. During the Vietnam Period, Asa served as a medic in the U.S. Navy. Asa E. Hall was a Life member of Studebaker Drovers Club and had an extensive collection of Studebaker trucks, cars, horsedrawn vehicles, and memorabilia. Richard M. Langworth CBE (born 1941) is an author who specializes in automotive history and Winston Churchill. He was editor of The Packard Cormorant from 1975 to 2001 and is a Trustee of the Packard Motorcar Foundation in Detroit, Michigan. His works have won awards from the Antique Automobile Club of America, Society of Automotive Historians, Old Cars Weekly, Packard Club and Graphic Arts Association of New Hampshire. Langworth is also author or editor of A Connoisseur's Guide to the Books of Sir Winston Churchill, Churchill in His Own Words, Churchill By Himself, and nine other books about Churchill. Langworth founded the Churchill Study Unit (1968) and served as the president of its successors the International Churchill Society and the Churchill Centre (1988-1999) and chairman of its board of trustees (2000-2006). He was editor of the Churchill journal "Finest Hour" from 1982 to 2014 and editorial consultant to the National Churchill Museum (2011-2015). Since 2014, he has been Senior Fellow for the Churchill Project at Hillsdale College. In 1998, he was created a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Elizabeth II for his services to Anglo-American understanding and history. Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the firm was originally a producer of wagons, buggies, carriages and harnesses. Studebaker entered the automotive business in 1902 with electric vehicles and in 1904 with gasoline vehicles, all sold under the name "Studebaker Automobile Company". Until 1911, its automotive division operated in partnership with the Garford Company of Elyria, Ohio, and after 1909 with the E-M-F Company. The first gasoline automobiles to be fully manufactured by Studebaker were marketed in August 1912. Over the next 50 years, the company established a reputation for good quality and reliability. After an unsuccessful 1954 merger with Packard (the Studebaker-Packard Corporation) failed to solve chronic postwar cashflow problems, the 'Studebaker Corporation' name was restored in 1962, but the South Bend plant ceased automobile production on December 20, 1963, and the last Studebaker automobile rolled off the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, assembly line on March 17, 1966. Studebaker continued as an independent manufacturer before merging with Wagner Electric in May 1967 and then Worthington Corporation in November 1967.