Books About Studebaker

Books About Studebaker

Reviewed by Bill Jackameit

All of the following books are in my personal library. Some are still in print, while others have been out of print for quite some time.

Beatty, Michael A., Patrick Furlong, and Loren Pennington. Studebaker, Less Than They Promised. And Books, South Bend, IN, 1984. 62 pages, softcover. I really hate the title of this book, which is a play on the Studebaker advertising slogan "Always give the customer more than you promised." Not as sympathetic or detailed as Langworth's postwar years book (see below), it nevertheless contains some insight as to the circumstances that led to Studebaker's departure from the Automobile business.

Cannon, William A. and Fred K, Fox. Studebaker, The Complete Story. Tab Books Inc., Blue Ridge Summit, PA, 1981. 368 pages, hardcover. Just what it says it is. Lots of photos (mostly black and white but some color) and specifications. Easy and enjoyable to read. No Studebaker collection is complete without it.

Clarke, R.M. Avanti, 1962-1990. Brooklands Books, Surrey, England, no year given. Reprints of contemporay road tests and reviews of the Studebaker Avanti and the Avanti II. A nice compendium, mainly for Avanti owners and enthusiasts.

Clarke, R.M. Studebaker Gold Portfolio, 1947-1966. Brooklands Books, Surrey, England, no year given. 180 pages, softcover. Reprints of contemporay road tests and articles, some of which are from overseas publications. Although the size of the reprints is smaller than the originals, the reproduction quality is very good and generally easy to read. A worthy addition to any Studebaker literature collection.

Clarke, R.M. Studebaker Larks and Hawks, 1956-1963. Brooklands Books, Surrey, England, no year given. 100 pages, softcover. Same format and quality as the as the Gold Portfolio. Does not contain any of the same articles as the latter. Worth having if you are into Larks or Hawks.

Hall, Asa E. and Richard M. Langworth. The Studebaker Century. Dragonwick Publishing Company, Contoocook, NH, 1983. 193 pages, hardcover. Another telling of the Studebaker story primarily from the standpoint of the cars themselves. Lots of black and white pictures (no color) and better paper quality than the either the Cannon/Fox or Maloney books.

Langworth, Richard M. Illustrated Studebaker Buyer's Guide. Motorbooks Illustrated, Osceola, WI, 1991. 144 pages, softcover. A wonderful book and a must for anyone thinking about buying a Studebaker. Covers all years from 1902 to 1966 plus Avanti II.

Langworth, Richard M. Studebaker: The Postwar Years. Motorbooks International, Osceola, WI, 1979. 195 pages, hardcover. Richard Langworth is one of the best aotomotive historians going. While there is plenty of information about the cars themselves, this book is really an extremely well written business history. I have read and reread this book many times. If you are interested in postwar Studebakers and buy only one book, this should be it. Has been reissued in an updated version.

Mayburn, Mitch and Ted W. Mayburn The Second Fifty Years of Studebaker. Highland Enterprises, Whitehall, TX, 1973. 48 pages, softcover. Reprints of advertisements and factory promotional literature. While most items are substantially reduced in size from the original, the copy quality is excellent. The next best thing to having the originals.

Mayburn, Mitch and Ted W. Mayburn. The Last Years of Studebaker, 1952-1966. Highland Enterprises, Whitehall, TX, 1973. 52 pages softcover. More reprints of advertisements and factory promotional literature. Same high quality as the earlier volume. As far as I know, both volumes have been out of print for quite some time.

Moloney, James H. Studebaker Cars. Motorbooks International, Osceola, WI, 1994. 392 pages, hardcover. Essentially a picture book with a brief year by year narrative. All pictures are black and white. You won't learn as much from this book as from the Cannon/Fox book. Tends to collect more dust on my shelves than most of the other books reviewed here.

Scherer, Michael. Studebakers in the News. Studebakers in the News, Toledo, OH, 1986. 386 pages, softcover. A compilation of newspaper and magazine articles and road tests. Contains a lot of interesting material, but the reproduction quality is not nearly as good as the Brooklands books. For the person who has to have everything that is available about Studebaker.

One final note: Anyone who is seriously interested in Studebaker automobiles and trucks should join the Studebaker Drivers Club if only to receive Turning Wheels, the club's excellent monthly magazine. The magazine contains a wealth of information and is more than worth the price of the club membership. For information on how to join, follow the link further down the main page to the Studebaker Drivers Club Home Page.

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