Studebaker Big Six
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The Studebaker Big Six, also known as the Model EG was an automobile produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana between 1918 and 1926. Beginning with the 1927 model year, the Big Six was renamed as the Studebaker President, and was one of Studebaker's largest and most luxurious models.
Between 1918 and 1920, the Big Six was offered only as a four-door touring car, the most popular body style for automobiles at the time. But as the price of enclosed cars came down, and consumers discovered the benefits of closed and semi-closed passenger compartments, a wider variety of body styles was available beginning with the 1921 model year. By the 1926 model year, the Big Six had grown to include such specialty body styles as a dual-cowl Phaeton and Berline sedan.
1918 to 1919 Big Sixes were powered by Studebaker's 354 in³ I6 engine that produced 60 bhp at 2000 rpm. By 1926, the engine was delivering 75 bhp at 2400 rpm. The car's wheelbase grew considerably between 1918 (120 in) and 1926 when the car was available in either short (120 in) or long (127 in) wheelbases.
At the 1924 New York Auto Show, Studebaker featured a 1918 Big Six that had a verified odometer reading of over 500,000 miles, as a testament to the longevity and durability of Studebaker vehicles.
All Studebaker models for 1918 represented an important milestone for the automaker because they represented a clean-break from the legacy to E-M-F automobiles that Studebaker found itself producing following a less than successful marketing agreement collapsed.
In 1927, the model gained the transitional model name Big Six President as Studebaker began the process of converting all of its model names away from engine type-based, and towards the more evocative Dictator (Standard Six) and Commander (Special Six). In the case of the Big Six President, 1928 would mark the introduction of Studebaker's famed 313 in³ V8 which developed 100 bhp at 2600 rpm, thus making the Big Six name outdated.
[edit] References
- Maloney, James H. (1994). Studebaker Cars. Crestline Books. ISBN 0-87938-884-6.
- Kimes, Beverly R., Editor. Clark, Henry A. (1996). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1945. Kraus Publications. ISBN 0-87341-428-4.
