Vehicle Description
For many of us, the name "Studebaker" may not be that common, but
in the early days of motoring, cars like this 1923 Studebaker Big
Six touring were very well-known, highly respected, and admired.
Today, cars of the so-called "nickel era" between 1916 and 1928 are
a wonderful way to get very road-worthy and attractive old cars at
surprisingly reasonable prices.
The Studebaker Big 6 was state-of-the-art in 1923, a car that
included every modern piece of tech imaginable back then. They were
also big, impressive cars with a lot of performance, all of which
is exemplified in this sleek touring car. It's got a lot of styling
cues that would extend throughout the 1920s, and offers a unique
look with the big fluted headlights and gracefully arching front
fenders. The cobalt blue paint is one of the few colors you could
get on a touring car that year, and it looks suitably sporty
without being too flashy, which was the perfect definition of
Studebaker's market. The hood was repainted to the former owner's
taste, but brightens up this antique just a little bit more.
Details like the door handles, ornate step plates, and neat little
cowl lights all make this big touring car look imposing and
sophisticated. And yes, it's got suicide-style doors, which is
always cool.
The interior is basic, which all cars were in 1923. There's a set
of handsomely pleated black leather seats with room for five, and
space in back is truly massive. Up front, you get a big wood
steering wheel that makes handling the big Stude relatively easy
and the controls will be familiar, even today. The brake,
accelerator, and clutch are in their usual spots and the shifter,
while requiring a quick double-clutch between gears, doesn't feel
all that different than today's units. Secondary controls for the
spark and throttle are on the steering hub, along with the horn,
while ignition and headlights are on the dash. Other
instrumentation includes an ammeter, oil pressure gauges and
speedometer, with a Moto-Meter out there on top of the radiator
where it belongs. Front seat occupants get battleship linoleum
under their feet while there's plush carpet in back, complete with
a foot rest. The black convertible top folds best if there are two
of you and there's an accessory trunk out back for a little extra
carrying capacity.
They called these the Big Six for good reason: there are 354 cubic
inches living under that long hood. Designed for smooth torque that
minimizes shifting, it pulls the big touring car around with
genuine authority. Regarded as one of the fastest cars of the era,
it's got 75 horsepower and cruises pretty happily at 45-50 MPH. The
engine fills up that engine bay, using a typical flathead design
with a distributor up front and a vacuum tank on the firewall that
feeds the updraft carburetor (assisted by a modern electric fuel
pump out back). It's quite correct, still running the heat riser
from the exhaust manifold and vintage-style cloth-wrapped hoses and
a leather fan belt, and once you master the staring procedure, it
springs to life easily. The 3-speed manual transmission has
well-spaced ratios and it works best if you remember that this car
likes low RPM, so you don't have to wring it out to get best
results. The suspension is rigid axles and leaf springs, and with
drum brakes on the rear wheels only, you should probably plan your
stops carefully. Disc wheels were a dashing option, with these
carrying handsome wide whites that really dress the car up.
Unusual but worthy of consideration for any collector, this big
Studebaker has a wonderful period feel that still works well today.
These don't come up for sale very often, don't miss your chance to
own a piece of American motoring history. Call now!