Studebaker-Garford was an automobile produced and distributed jointly by the Garford Company of Elyria, Ohio , and the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana , from 1904 through 1911. During its production, the car was sold as a Studebaker, per the marketing agreement between the two firms, but Studebaker collectors break the vehicles out under the Studebaker-Garford name because of the extent of Garford components.
9-703: Garford was a manufacturer of automobile components and chassis for a number of early automotive works. Studebaker, which had been in the wagon-making business since the 1850s, produced their first automobile in 1897, but did not go into full production until 1902 with the introduction of the Studebaker Electric . Under the agreement, Garford would assemble each chassis, and then ship it to South Bend for completion. Studebaker-Garfords were powered by gasoline engines which initially produced 8 bhp . The first Studebaker-Garfords were designated Models “A” and “B”, and were listed as five-passenger touring cars with
18-428: A detachable tonneau , which, once removed, converted the car into a two-person runabout . The Model “C” was also introduced in 1904 and is considered the first formal touring car, but did not come with a collapsible (convertible) top. Headlights for the cars were available at extra cost. Until its final year, the car received a number of mechanical upgrades as technology advanced: By 1910, however, chassis production
27-528: A distribution network firm, failed to produce a volume sufficient to make the organization profitable. In 1913, Garford was purchased by John North Willys and merged into Willys-Overland . [REDACTED] Media related to Studebaker-Garford at Wikimedia Commons Studebaker Electric The Studebaker Electric was a car manufactured by the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company of South Bend, Indiana ,
36-525: A forerunner of the Studebaker Corporation . The battery-powered cars were sold from 1902 to 1912. Studebaker entered into the automobile manufacturing field in 1898 when Frederick S. Fish , as chairman of the executive committee, persuaded the board to supply $ 4,000, or $ 140,862 today, for the development of an electric vehicle . However, lacking the board's full support, the project yielded one car. The company did, however, enter into
45-455: A variety of body styles, many of which mimicked the bodies that the brand had long produced for its lucrative passenger carriage line. These included the Stanhope, Victoria, and Surrey. A four-passenger model was introduced in 1904. Fish realized early on that Studebaker's future did not rest in the limited electric car, but in the gasoline-powered automobile. Studebaker's field of expertise
54-465: The entire car, which would then be distributed through Studebaker wagon dealers. Still, Studebaker continued to build electric vehicles until Fish decided to begin the process of seizing control of E-M-F in 1909, which Studebaker completed by 1910. By 1912, it became conventional wisdom that the future lay in gasoline-powered engines rather than heavy, sluggish electrics, and the limited production of electric cars stopped. An official announcement from
63-405: The field of producing bodies for electric taxis through Albert Augustus Pope ’s Electric Vehicle Company. Studebaker formally began production in earnest in 1902, and the company chose battery-powered electric vehicles because they were clean, easily recharged, and worked well in urban centers without ever needing to visit a refueling depot ( gas stations ). Studebaker Electrics were available in
72-539: Was in body building and product distribution, not engine building. This realization led to the creation of the Studebaker-Garford automobile in 1904. The joint agreement worked well until 1909-1910, when Garford attempted to divert chassis to its own brand of automobile. Studebaker, looking for an affordable car to sell, entered into an agreement with the E-M-F Company of Detroit. E-M-F would build
81-453: Was increasingly favoring Garford's own vehicle brand, and Studebaker was forced to take steps to reassert its contractual rights. Grudgingly, Garford accommodated Studebaker, but the relationship between the two companies became tense. However, by 1911, E-M-F's engine and chassis plant was bought out by Studebaker president Fred Fish and the two firms ended their tenuous relationship. Garford would continue producing its own cars, but without
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