Misplaced Pages

#390609

52-555: The Land Cruiser was introduced at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair as an extensively streamlined sedan. Many of the same aerodynamic features of the car were shared with Pierce-Arrow's Silver Arrow show car that also debuted at the fair when Studebaker assumed operations of Pierce-Arrow in 1928. Work on both automobiles was authorized prior to the company being placed in receivership in March 1933, and Pierce being sold to investors. Production Land Cruisers began to appear in dealer showrooms in

104-425: A one-piece curved windshield, an electric clock and carpeting front and rear. Only minor trim changes for 1948 brought a Land Cruiser price of $ 2265, and in 1949 it was increased to $ 2328 ($ 29,811 in 2023 dollars ). Since it was a seller’s market after WWII, Studebaker felt no need to change the basic design of the car, even though they knew that other makers would have “new” cars in 1949. Studebaker coasted along with

156-606: A replica of Point du Sable's cabin was presented as part of the "background of the history of Chicago". Also on display was the "Lincoln Group" of reconstructions of buildings associated with the biography of Abraham Lincoln, including his birth cabin, the Lincoln-Berry General Store , the Chicago Wigwam (in reduced scale), and the Rutledge Tavern which served as a restaurant. Admiral Byrd's polar expedition ship

208-514: A total of 39,052,236. Much of the fair site is now home to Northerly Island park (since the closing of Meigs Field ) and McCormick Place . The Balbo Monument , given to Chicago by Benito Mussolini to honor General Italo Balbo 's 1933 trans-Atlantic flight, still stands near Soldier Field . The city added a third red star to its flag in 1933 to commemorate the Century of Progress Exposition (the Fair

260-557: A utopia, or perfect world, founded on democracy and manufacturing." A Century of Progress was organized as an Illinois nonprofit corporation in January 1928 for the purpose of planning and hosting a World's Fair in Chicago in 1934. City officials designated three and a half miles of newly reclaimed land along the shore of Lake Michigan between 12th and 39th streets on the Near South Side for

312-462: A variation on the vertical (i.e., paternoster lift ) parking garage—all the cars were new Nashes; Lincoln presented its rear-engined "concept car" precursor to the Lincoln-Zephyr , which went on the market in 1936 with a front engine; Pierce-Arrow presented its modernistic Pierce Silver Arrow for which it used the byline "Suddenly it's 1940!" But it was Packard which won the best of show with

364-451: Is now on exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry . Frank Buck furnished a wild animal exhibit, Frank Buck's Jungle Camp. Over two million people visited Buck's reproduction of the camp he and his native assistants lived in while collecting animals in Asia. After the fair closed, Buck moved the camp to a compound he had created at Amityville, New York . Planning for the design of

416-418: Is now represented by the fourth of four stars on the flag). In conjunction with the fair, Chicago's Italian-American community raised funds and donated a statue of Genoese navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus . It was placed at the south end of Grant Park, near the site of the fair. The Polish Museum of America possesses the painting of Pulaski at Savannah by Stanisław Kaczor-Batowski , which

468-497: The City of New York was visited by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he came to the fair on October 2, 1933. The City was on show for the full length of the exhibition. One of the highlights of the 1933 World's Fair was the arrival of the German airship Graf Zeppelin on October 26, 1933. After circling Lake Michigan near the exposition for two hours, Commander Hugo Eckener landed

520-608: The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), celebrated the city's centennial. Designed largely in Art Deco style, the theme of the fair was technological innovation , and its motto was "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms", trumpeting the message that science and American life were wedded. Its architectural symbol was the Sky Ride , a transporter bridge perpendicular to the shore on which one could ride from one side of

572-608: The "Dawn-to-Dusk Dash". To cap its record-breaking speed run, the Zephyr arrived dramatically on-stage at the fair's "Wings of a Century" transportation pageant. The two trains launched an era of industrial streamlining. Both trains later went into successful revenue service, the Union Pacific's as the City of Salina , and the Burlington Zephyr as the first Pioneer Zephyr . The Zephyr

SECTION 10

#1732863182391

624-400: The "clam digger", was actually a preview of the next generation. The 1953 Land Cruisers were complete departure from the ’47-’52 models. The 1953 model sold retail for $ 2316 ($ 26,375 in 2023 dollars ). They were built on the same frame as the new Starliner and Starlight coupe models but, as with many new models, there were some initial problems, primarily with the fit of the front fenders. With

676-435: The 1947 Studebaker, touted as "First by Far with a Postwar Car", had a completely new body. The new Land Cruiser exclusively rode the company's longest wheelbase (124 in (3,100 mm)), which provided additional legroom for rear seat passengers. It featured center-opening, rear-hinged rear suicide doors and was powered by the larger of Studebaker's two straight-6 engines. The Land Cruiser suggested price of $ 2043 included

728-596: The 776-foot airship at the nearby Curtiss-Wright Airport in Glenview . It remained on the ground for twenty-five minutes (from 1 to 1:25 pm) then took off ahead of an approaching weather front, bound for Akron, Ohio . The "dream cars" which American automobile manufacturers exhibited at the fair included Rollston bodywork on a Duesenberg chassis, and was called the Twenty Grand ultra-luxury sedan; Cadillac 's introduction of its V-16 limousine ; Nash 's exhibit had

780-576: The Belgian Village (Burnham Brothers with Alfons De Rijdt), and the Streets of Paris (Andrew Rebori and John W. Root) where fan dancer Sally Rand performed. These buildings were constructed out of five-ply Douglas fir plywood, ribbed-metal siding, and prefabricated boards such as Masonite, Sheetrock, Maizewood, as well as other new man-made materials. The exhibited buildings were windowless (but cheerfully lighted) buildings. Structural advances also filled

832-816: The Century of Progress fair in Chicago. The major archive for the Century of Progress International Exposition, including the official records from the event and the papers of Lenox Lohr, general manager of the fair, are housed in Special Collections at the University of Illinois, Chicago . A collection of materials including images is held by the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries at the Art Institute of Chicago . The Century of Progress Collection includes photographs, guidebooks, brochures, maps, architectural drawings , and souvenir items. Specific collections with material include

884-460: The Commander and President lines, for 1941 Studebaker introduced the ultra-luxurious Skyway Land Cruiser which featured a slightly curved single-pane windshield, rear fender skirts and premium details and fabrics. The 1947 Studebaker models were so revolutionary that it had other car builders scurrying back to their drawing boards. While other manufacturers settled for re-chroming their pre-war models,

936-471: The Commander, replaced it with a large gold “8” in the middle of a chrome “V” (basically they removed one of the three arms of the "star", changing it into a "v".) On the Champion, a gold “S” replaced the “8”. When the other items ran their course, they were replaced by non-tri-star items. These are now collectors items. The construction problems were corrected in the 1954 Land Cruiser models with heavier metal in

988-473: The Exposition began over five years prior to Opening Day. According to an official resolution, decisions regarding the site layout and the architectural style of the exposition were relegated to an architectural commission, which was led by Paul Cret and Raymond Hood . Local architects on the committee included Edward Bennett , John Holabird , and Hubert Burnham. Frank Lloyd Wright was specifically left off

1040-687: The Federal Building (Bennet, Burnham, and Holabird); corporate pavilions, including the General Motors Building (Albert Kahn) and the Sears Pavilion (Nimmons, Carr, and Wright); futuristic model houses, most popular was the twelve-sided House of Tomorrow (George Frederick Keck); as well as progressive foreign pavilions, including the Italian Pavilion (Mario de Renzi and Adalberto Libera); and historic and ethnic entertainment venues, such as

1092-543: The Federal Building for the fair. The frieze was composed of twelve murals depicting the influence of sea power on America, beginning with the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia , in 1607 when sea power first reached America and carrying through World War I. Another set of murals, painted for the Ohio State Exhibit by William Mark Young , was relocated afterwards to the Ohio Statehouse . Young also painted scenes of

SECTION 20

#1732863182391

1144-631: The Old Morocco, where future stars Judy Garland , the Cook Family Singers, and the Andrews Sisters performed), and a recreation of important scenes from Chicago's history. The fair also contained exhibits that would seem shocking to modern audiences, including offensive portrayals of African Americans , a "Midget City" complete with "sixty Lilliputians ", and an exhibition of incubators containing real babies. The fair included an exhibit on

1196-549: The commission due to his inability to work well with others, but did go on to produce three conceptual schemes for the fair. Members of this committee ended up designing most of the large, thematic exhibition pavilions. From the beginning, the commission members shared a belief that the buildings should not reinterpret past architectural forms – as had been done at earlier fairs, such as Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition—but should instead reflect new, modern ideas, as well as suggest future architectural developments. Because

1248-426: The door or could not close it. There were also fewer frame re-enforcements than in subsequent years. As you might imagine, this problem caused many a late night conference and hasty fixes and tended to give the new model a bad name almost immediately. Then a problem with the new (and revolutionary, for its day) mechanical power steering raised its head. It only required 2  psi (0.14  bar ) of pressure to turn

1300-432: The earlier model. New, larger brakes were included in the package, shortening stopping distances by 37 ft (11 m) according to Motor Trend. Engine horsepower increased to 127 as the result of a 0.5 compression increase (to 7.5). There was also a smoother looking instrument panel, doing away with the individually hooded gauges of the previous year. The 1954 Land Cruiser sold for $ 2438. All in all, many people are of

1352-575: The end of 1958 to make way for the new compact Lark model. A longer wheelbase version of the Lark sedan was offered for fleet sales. Dubbed the Economiler, it was marketed for use as a taxicab, again featuring a roomier back seat area than the regular Larks. For the 1961, Studebaker added a Lark model, the Cruiser, which continued through the 1966 model year. This model was built on the longer wheelbase chassis and

1404-409: The engine out of the car, they fit. With the engine in the car, they didn’t. This was found to be primarily the fault of using a thinner gauge steel for the frame. The theory was that if the frame could flex a little, the car would ride better. The problem was, it flexed too much. If you jacked up one corner of the car, to change a tire, for example, the frame flexed so much that you could either not open

1456-468: The entire debt paid by the time the fair closed in 1934. For the first time in American history, an international fair had paid for itself. In its two years, it had attracted 48,769,227 visitors. According to James Truslow Adams 's Dictionary of American History , during the 170 days beginning May 27, 1933, there were 22,565,859 paid admissions; during the 163 days beginning May 26, 1934, there were 16,486,377;

1508-686: The exhibition buildings. The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held at Comiskey Park (home of the Chicago White Sox ) in conjunction with the fair. In May 1934, the Union Pacific Railroad exhibited its first streamlined train, the M-10000 , and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad its famous Zephyr which, on May 26, made a record-breaking dawn-to-dusk run from Denver, Colorado, to Chicago in 13 hours and 5 minutes, called

1560-460: The fair to the other. One description of the fair noted that the world, "then still mired in the malaise of the Great Depression , could glimpse a happier not-too-distant future, all driven by innovation in science and technology". Fair visitors saw the latest wonders in rail travel, automobiles, architecture and even cigarette-smoking robots. The exposition "emphasized technology and progress,

1612-497: The fair. There were more than a thousand cases, resulting in 98 deaths. Joel Connolly of the Chicago Bureau of Sanitary Engineering brought the outbreak to an end when he found that defective plumbing permitted sewage to contaminate drinking water in two hotels. Originally, the fair was scheduled only to run until November 12, 1933, but it was so successful that it was opened again to run from May 26 to October 31, 1934. The fair

Studebaker Land Cruiser - Misplaced Pages Continue

1664-464: The fairgrounds was on new man-made land that was owned by the state and not the city, the land was initially free from Chicago's strict building codes, which allowed the architects to explore new materials and building techniques. This allowed the design and construction of a wide array of experimental buildings, that eventually included large general exhibition halls, such as the Hall of Science (Paul Cret) and

1716-444: The fairgrounds. Held on a 427 acres (1.73 km ) portion of Burnham Park , the $ 37,500,000 exposition was formally opened on May 27, 1933, by U.S. Postmaster General James Farley at a four-hour ceremony at Soldier Field . The fair's opening night began with a nod to the heavens. Lights were automatically activated when the rays of the star Arcturus were detected. The star was chosen as its light had started its journey at about

1768-529: The fairgrounds. These included the earliest catenary roof constructed in the United States, which roofed the dome of the Travel and Transport Building (Bennet, Burnham and Holabird) and the first thin shell concrete roof in the United States, on the small, multi-vaulted Brook Hill Farm Dairy built for the 1934 season of the fair. From June to November 1933, there was an outbreak of amoebic dysentery associated with

1820-615: The fall of 1933 as 1934 models. The Land Cruiser was designated as a body style, and classified in the President model range (C Series) for the year. It retailed for $ 1,510. The body style was shared with the President and Commander series for 1936. From 1937–1940, the car was classified as the Commander Cruiser and President Cruiser. The Land Cruiser name officially returned in 1941 and 1942. In addition to offering its Land Cruisers in

1872-442: The frames and an additional re-enforcing crossmember. The famous designer, Eleanor LeMaire was retained to brighten up the interiors of the new cars. She demanded 4 more colorful interiors than previously, getting away from the one drab gray pin stripe color of the previous year. These new colors included green, blue and tan as well as an opulent silver-gray. The front grille bars had 5 small vertical fins each to differentiate them from

1924-402: The history of Chicago. In the planning stages, several African American groups from the city's newly growing population campaigned for Jean Baptiste Point du Sable to be honored at the fair. At the time, few Chicagoans had even heard of Point du Sable, and the fair's organizers presented the 1803 construction of Fort Dearborn as the city's historical beginning. The campaign was successful, and

1976-477: The lively new Studebaker V8 engine that year. The front styling stayed virtually the same, with a minor redesign of the three points. Once again, the Land Cruiser had its own wheelbase, at 119"; the Commander now shared the 115" wheelbase of the Champion models. The price was raised to $ 2289. The 1952 Land Cruiser was the last to use real glass for the tail and parking light lenses. Its grille, designated by some as

2028-522: The modernistic Federal Building. These were also printed in separate souvenir sheets as blocks of 25 (catalog listings 728–31). In 1935 the sheets were reprinted (Scott 766–67). From October 2010 through September 2011, the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. opened an exhibition titled Designing Tomorrow: America's World's Fairs of the 1930s . This exhibition prominently featured

2080-401: The most advanced automatic transmission of the day. It featured reverse gear lock-out, hill-holder, anti-creep and a locking torque converter which allowed direct drive with virtually no converter power loss in high gear. The price of the 1950 Land Cruiser went down to $ 2187. Sales in 1951 skyrocketed, an increase of almost 12,000 over 1950. This can probably be attributed to the introduction of

2132-580: The neoclassical themes used at the 1893 fair. One famous feature of the fair were the performances of fan dancer Sally Rand . Hal Pearl then known as "Chicago's Youngest Organist" and later "The King of the Organ" was the official organist of the fair. Mary Ann McArdle and her sister Isabel (from the UK) performed Irish Dancing. Other popular exhibits were the various auto manufacturers, the Midway (filled with nightclubs such as

Studebaker Land Cruiser - Misplaced Pages Continue

2184-450: The old bodies until 1952. But 1950 saw the “Next Look in Cars" — Studebaker’s answer to the other manufacturer's 1949 models. Considered very radical for the era, it had three-point front styling, popularly known as the “bullet-nose”, similar in style to the 1949 Ford. Over 10,000 more Land Cruisers were sold in 1950 than in 1949. Studebaker Automatic Drive was introduced mid-year and was arguably

2236-497: The opinion that the 1954 Land Cruiser was better designed than the 1955 Ultra-Vista wrap around windshield President models. While it was in keeping with most other brands of the era, the large amount of chrome (demanded by the sales department) caused many people to shy away from the ’55 Studebakers. In 1955, the name was changed. Top-trimmed Studebakers from 1955–1958 went by the Studebaker President name (revived from

2288-494: The prewar President models). For 1956, an upscale President Classic sedan was offered. The President Classic used the longer 120.5" wheelbase of the Hawks, and like the 1947–1950 Land Cruisers used the additional length to create a roomier rear passenger area. The President Classic was continued for 1957–1958, though no longer carrying the "Classic" model name. After a four-year run, The President models, in turn, were dropped at

2340-511: The reintroduction of the Packard Twelve . An enduring exhibit was the 1933 Homes of Tomorrow Exhibition that demonstrated modern home convenience and creative practical new building materials and techniques with twelve model homes sponsored by several corporations affiliated with home decor and construction. Marine artist Hilda Goldblatt Gorenstein painted twelve murals for the Navy's exhibit in

2392-716: The steering wheel but it was noisy. Only 100 of these units were sold before Studebaker began using GM Saginaw type units. The Studebaker company had a problem with the Mercedes-Benz company. A few years in the future, Studebaker would be the American distributor for that brand, but in 1953, the M-B tri-star emblem was turned upside down and put on the front and rear of Studebaker cars, minus the encircling ring. (Mercedes-Benz cars were still relatively unknown in America at that time, so most people probably would never have drawn any connection between

2444-529: The time of the previous Chicago world's fair—the World's Columbian Exposition —in 1893. The rays were focused on photoelectric cells in a series of astronomical observatories and then transformed into electrical energy which was transmitted to Chicago. The fair buildings were multi-colored, to create a "Rainbow City" as compared to the "White City" of Chicago's earlier World's Columbian Exposition . The buildings generally followed Moderne architecture in contrast to

2496-485: The two brands.) In the upper part, the Commander had a gold “8” while the Champion a gold “S”. The upside-down tri-star was used elsewhere in the car. The wheel covers, back-up light lenses, radio delete plate, horn button and the rear ashtray on the Starliner/Starlight coupe—all had this emblem. M-B complained and Studebaker hastily re-designed the emblems. On the hood and trunk, they removed the M-B look-alike and on

2548-672: The visit of the German airship depicting (l to r) the fair's Federal Building, the Graf Zeppelin in flight, and its home hangar in Friedrichshafen , Germany. This stamp is informally known as the Baby Zep to distinguish it from the much more valuable 1930 Graf Zeppelin stamps (C13–15). Separate from this issue, for the Fair the Post Office also printed 1 and 3 cent commemorative postage stamps , showing respectively Fort Dearborn and

2600-547: Was a better equipped and more luxurious version of the 4-door Lark and was designed to harken back to the Studebaker Land Cruiser sedans of the late Forties and early Fifties. Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition , also known as the Chicago World's Fair , was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago , Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under

2652-598: Was exhibited at the Century of Progress fair and where it won first place. After the close of the fair, the painting went on display at The Art Institute of Chicago where it was unveiled by Eleanor Roosevelt on July 10, 1934. The painting was on display at the Art Institute until its purchase by the Polish Women's Alliance on the museum's behalf. The U.S. Post Office Department issued a special fifty-cent Air Mail postage stamp, ( Scott catalogue number C-18) to commemorate

SECTION 50

#1732863182391

2704-399: Was financed through the sale of memberships, which allowed purchases of a certain number of admissions once the park was open. More than $ 800,000 was raised in this manner as the country was in the Great Depression . A $ 10 million bond was issued on October 28, 1929, the day before the stock market crashed . By the time the fair closed in 1933, half of these notes had been retired, with

#390609