2025

By Robert Tate Award Winning Automotive Historian/Researcher.
Published 11.26.2025
Images courtesy of Robert Tate’s Automotive History Collection.

Front end of 1942 Studebaker in yellow.

#2-1942 Studebaker model in Green Champion. 1942 Studebaker model in Green Champion.

In 1942, Americans were turning their attention to the war effort. Before Studebaker’s assembly lines shut down for the duration in February, the company had already shifted its focus entirely to winning the war. On January 31, 1942, production of civilian automobiles ceased, and Studebaker transitioned fully to military manufacturing.
The 1942 Studebaker models—introduced in the fall of 1941—were designed under the direction of Raymond Loewy Studios by Bob Bourke (1916–1996) and Virgil Exner (1909–1973), who later joined Chrysler in the 1950s. These models included the Champion, Commander, and President series, offered as three-passenger and five-passenger coupes, a Club Sedan, and a four-door Cruising Sedan. The most expensive model, the Skyway Land Cruiser sedan, sold for $1,340 and featured fender-mounted directional signals, fender skirts, and whitewall tires. At the other end of the spectrum, a three-passenger Custom Coupe cost $785. The Champion series proved the most popular among consumers.

1942 Studebaker Yellow Sedan

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Studebaker produced only 9,285 cars in 1942, placing the company eighth in national automobile sales. Prices rose by about $100 per model due to material shortages and wartime inflation. Chrome trim was replaced with painted parts as certain metals became strategic materials, leading many automotive historians, including me, to refer to the 1942 models as “Blackout” vehicles due to the lack of chrome/brightwork on the exterior design. Mention also should be made of the notable introduction of the Turbo-Matic Drive, a fluid-drive transmission.

After Pearl Harbor, the federal government ordered all automakers into full war production. By February 1942, Studebaker’s South Bend, Indiana plant was entirely devoted to government contracts. The workforce nearly doubled to 20,000 men and women to meet wartime demands. Advertising from the era often featured Studebaker cars alongside military personnel, reflecting the patriotic spirit of the time.
Though produced in limited numbers, the 1942 Studebaker models marked a significant milestone in the company’s history—a final chapter before the factory turned its attention to supporting America’s victory in World War II.

1942 Studebaker Ad

Studebakers for 1942

Bibliography
Foster Patrick. “Studebaker The Complete History” MBI Publishing Company 2008.
Moloney H. James. “Studebaker Cars” Motorbooks International Publishers 1994.
Hall E. Asa & Langworth M. Richard. “The Studebaker Century A National Heritage” Dragonwyck Publishing Inc. 1983.

By Robert Tate Award Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Published 11.19.2025
Images Courtesy of GM Heritage Archives & Special Collections

By Robert Tate Award Winning Automotive Historian/Researcher
Published 11.12.25
Images Courtesy of Gordon Buehrig Archives.

by A. Wayne Ferens
Published 11.5.2025

By A. Wayne Ferens
Published 10.29.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of the Ford Motor Company Archives
Published 10.22.2025

Read more: The Ford Econoline Truck

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of the General Motors Heritage Archives
Published 10.15.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of the Stellantis Chrysler Archives
Published 10.8.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images courtesy of the Stellantis Chrysler Archives
Published 10.1.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of the General Motors Heritage Archives
Published 9.24.2025

by Ron Alpern
Images Courtesy of the Reuther Library at Wayne State University and the Detroit Historical Society
Published 9.17.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of Stellantis Chrysler Archives
Published 9.10.2025

by Brian Yopp, MotorCities' Deputy Director
Images Courtesy of the Gilmore Car Museum
Published 9.3.2025

Gilmore Garage Works group shot A recent group shot of the students and mentors participating in the Gilmore Garage Works program.

From some people's perspectives, cars provide pure utility. They can get you from Point A to Point B. For others, classic cars provide entertainment or recreation as a nice weekend hobby.

In the case of Gilmore Garage Works, cars can provide invaluable life lessons.

An earlier group of participants in the Gilmore Garage Works program

In 2012, MotorCities supported a grant to the Gilmore Car Museum to connect at-risk, Kalamazoo-area high school students with local mentors as they worked together on classic automobiles. The incentive was that you needed to remain enrolled in school in order to continue in the after-school vehicle restoration program. What the students learned about body repair and internal combustion engines paled in comparison to what they learned from auto engineers and other professionals serving as mentors from their community who showed them a world of possibilities.

A recent student participant in the program

After a brief interruption to the COVID pandemic, the program has expanded and continues to be a success. Many students who have graduated from the program have returned to act as professional mentors.

According to the Gilmore Car Museum's Director of Education, Fred Colgren, this program has filled a void regarding student access to traditional auto shop classes that used to exist at many high schools, but now are relegated to vocational education centers at the Intermediate School District (ISD) level -- if they exist at all. Students come to the Gilmore Garage Works building on the museum's campus twice a week after school from September through June and work with a mentor to develop a variety of skills, including engine building, repairs and welding. They work on restoring actual vehicles from the Gilmore's extensive collection of cars, trucks and motorcycles.

The Gilmore Garage Works building

Gilmore Garage Works is hosting an upcoming Open House on Tuesday, September 23 where parents and students can tour the building, meet their future mentors and learn more about the specifics of the program.

I recently made the trip to Hickory Corners in Kalamazoo County to the Gilmore Car Museum's campus to speak with Colgren, Program Manager John Chapman, and Eli and Conner -- two recent participants in the program. You can watch the interview here.

MotorCities Deputy Director Brian Yopp (center), flanked by the Gilmore Car Museum's Director of Education Fred Colgren and Garage Works Manager John Chapman (left) and students Eli and Conner (right)

MotorCities has also launched a new page on our website to spotlight amazing programs taking place at our partners. Gilmore Garage Works is the first program featured, and we will add new stories quarterly. You can find the new page by clicking here.

by A. Wayne Ferens
Images Courtesy of the Ferens Collection, Motor Trend, and Road & Track
Published 8.27.2025

A view from above of the Ford GT 90 concept

Today's super cars are so advanced in engineering and technology -- even the word “exotic” is passe’. Words describing these new ultra-machines being tossed around the car industry include adjectives like extreme, hyper, super, or super-hyper. Yes, these new “exotics” are probably all of those things and more.

Look at some of today's “extreme machines” and see what they have in common -- those super Ferrari limited models like the LaFerrari, Lamborghini Veneno, Koenigsegg Regera, McLaren Senna, Bugatti Veyron and Pagani Zonda to name a few. For starters, all use advanced construction materials like carbon-fiber, high-strength aluminum, magnesium, titanium and other exotic materials. Most are hand-assembled using advanced structural adhesives or welding techniques. When automation is used, it is of the highest-tech most advanced computer controlled robotic manufacturing processes known to man.

When it comes to hyper-performance, many use radically designed V8s, V12s even V or W-16 cylinder engines with multi-valves, multi-cams, multi-turbos, etc. Some are even using advanced hi-tech hybrid systems that produce four-figure horsepower levels from their power units. Many of these super cars are not evolutionary, but revolutionary to say the least. So, when did this "hyper-revolution" start and who started it? Let's take a look back to the 1990s.

A front end view of the Ford GT 90 concept

One car comes to mind -- the Ford GT. No, not the early welded steel/fiberglass, cast iron carbureted V8 GT40 from the 1960s, but Ford's hyper-super-exotic concept car built in 1995 known as the GT-90. Some call it the greatest concept GT car ever made. Yes, it was made to run and drive. When a large high-volume automobile company like Ford Motor Company invests hundreds of thousands, even millions (estimates of $3-million for the GT-90) into a “dream car,” one must dream down the road so to speak.

Starting with some super car basics -- as used in the then Ford-owned Jaguar, as in Jaguar XJ-220 -- Ford laid the foundation of the GT-90 on the XJs chassis and suspension, and also used the Jag’s smooth shifting five-speed manual transmission.

The cockpit of the Ford GT 90 concept

Ford molded it's “New Edge” designed body out of exotic and very expensive hand-laid, light-weight, high-strength, carbon-fiber material. This 3,200 lb. super car had subtle styling details reminiscent of the original GT40, especially on the front of the vehicle.

A rear view of the Ford GT 90 concept

To give it that mind-blowing super hi-performance, Ford sliced and diced two of its modular 4.6-liter fuel-injected V8s as used in the Lincoln and created a 6.0-liter DOHC 48 valve, quad-turbo (Garrett T2s) aluminum V-12 -- pumping out 720 horsepower and 660 lb. ft. of torque from its mid-engined power unit. Other hi-tech features included touch-panel entry, passing car sensors, speed-activated air dam and a gorgeous spacious blue oval-colored interior with individual gauge pods and a multi-control center console.

The powerful engine that drove the concept to high-performance heights

First debuted at the 1995 Detroit Auto Show, the Ford GT-90 super car became an instant sensation. On the track, it produced performance numbers in the range of 0 - 100 mph in six seconds and a top speed of 230 mph. If the super or hyper name fits, wear it!

Ford never intended to put the car into production, but the company continued the “New Edge” design through the 2000s on many of its popular production models. Was this just a styling exercise, or did Ford secretly intend to build an exotic super performance hyper-car? I mean a ultra-super-performance-exotic-hyper car like the new Ford GT that can be purchased through special order -- in limited numbers of course ...

Bibliography

Motor Trend, December 1, 1995

Road & Track, April 1995

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of General Motors Heritage Archives, Spotlight Hobbies Inc. and Barrett-Jackson Auction Company
Published 8.20.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance, Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, Black Hawk Museum and Ruxton Automotive Archives
Published 8.13.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images courtesy of the Stellantis Chrysler Archives and General Motors Heritage Archives
Published 8.6.2025

By Jeffrey D. Brasie
Images Courtesy of Checker Motor Cars and the Checker Car Club of America
Published 7.30.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of the Stellantis Chrysler Archives
Published 7.23.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of the General Motors Heritage Archives
Published 7.16.2025

By Robert Tate, Award-Winning Automotive Historian and Researcher
Images Courtesy of the Robert Tate Collection
Published 7.9.2025

by A. Wayne Ferens
Images Courtesy of the Ferens Collection
Published 7.2.2025

by A. Wayne Ferens
Images Courtesy of Ford Motor Company, The Henry Ford, the Ferens Collection and the Nixon Library & Museum
Published 6.25.2025

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