American Spirit: 1937 Studebaker J5 Coupe Express

The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company was founded in 1852 in Indiana and was immediately successful as a wheelbarrow manufacturer for gold rush miners. After producing wagons for the US Army, it entered the automotive market in 1902, with an electric car designed by Thomas Alva Edison. In 1904, under the name ‘Studebaker Automobile Company’, the first car with a combustion engine was produced, praised for its technical qualities and reliability. In the mid-1930s, the Studebaker Dictator Six was introduced, a somewhat unhappy name destined to the replaced by the Commander in 1938, equipped with a 3,600cc L-head type engine with 6 inline cylinders and side valves, capable of producing 90 hp and a very pleasant, art deco line. On the very same platform of the Dictator with similar lines, in 1937, the pickup, called the J5 Coupe Express began production.

The large rear compartment inserted into the harmonious line of the Studebaker J5 Coupe Express

Splendid even today, it combines the long, aerodynamic snout that was typical of the most advanced styles of the period with external fenders and a rounded cockpit. The inherent beauty of the Express is no accident, given that it was created by Raymond Loewy, considered by many as the greatest industrial designer of his time. The interior, again extremely innovative and beautifully finished, was the result of the work of Helen Dryden, an artist and industrial designer hired by Studebaker in 1935. In 1938, the Express became the K5 and changed shape, taking advantage of the new design of the sedan version, and gaining a few centimetres of useful length for the external body (which, if desired, could be custom-made by different external suppliers).