Studebaker E-series truck | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Studebaker |
Also called | Studebaker Transtar (1957-1960) |
Production | 1955-1960 |
Assembly | Studebaker Automotive Plant, South Bend, Indiana, United States Studebaker Canada, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 2-door pickup |
Layout | Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive |
Powertrain | |
Engine |
|
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Studebaker 2R/3R |
Successor | Studebaker Champ |
The E series Studebaker trucks are the original 1955 E series Studebaker trucks, sold in half-ton, 3/4-ton, and 1-, 1.5-, and 2-ton capacities, and the 1956: 2E series; 1957-58: 3E series; 1959: 4E series; 1960: 5E series; 1961: 6E series; 1962: 7E series; and 1963-64: 8E series. [1] Given these model-year designations, "E series" has come to mean all Studebaker trucks built between 1955 and the end of all vehicle production in the US in December 1963. Within each tonnage rating, these trucks were all fairly similar, since Studebaker was in dire financial straits during this entire period and invested virtually nothing to update its truck division products. For the 1956 and 1957-58 models, all Studebaker trucks were called Transtar.
The most distinctive characteristic of Studebaker E-series trucks is the cab, which remained unchanged through the 1959 models. With only two changes - a one-piece windshield in 1954 (for the preceding 3R series) and a larger rear window in 1955 for the first E series – it was essentially the same cab as was introduced on the 2R series in mid-1948 as a 1949 model. The first E was available with three engines, the Champion 185 cu in (3.0 L) inline-six with 92 hp (69 kW), the Commander 246 cu in (4.0 L) six with 102 hp (76 kW), or the 224 cu in (3.7 L) Commander V8 with 140 hp (100 kW). The heavier 1½ and 2 ton models were available with the bigger 259 cu in (4.2 L) Commander V8, with 156 or 175 hp (116 or 130 kW) respectively. [1] The bigger engines gradually migrated into the lighter offerings over the years, with the six-cylinder models becoming ever less relevant. In 1957 Studebaker's 289 cu in (4.7 L) V8 engine found its way into the heavy duty 2-ton 3E40 and was sporadically available, mostly at the top of the weight range. [1]
The 1956 2E received a new hood, with the "Studebaker" script now on a secondary chrome grille mounted up high. The front turn signals were also incorporated in the grille, beneath the headlights. 20,218 Studebaker 2E trucks were built in the 1956 model year. [2] A new massive fiberglass grille appeared on the 1957-58 3E models, and was the last significant styling change made to these trucks.
For the 1958 and 59 model years, a stripped-down, low-cost Studebaker truck, called the Scotsman, was produced in addition to the Transtars, in 1/2 and 3/4-ton ratings. To save money, it used a modified version of the 1949-53 grille and was spartan in almost every way. For unknown reasons, the Transtar name was dropped from the Studebaker truck line in 1959, though it reappeared in 1960 on the 1-, 1½-, and 2-ton models.
For 1960, E-series trucks received their only major restyling. Called the Champ, the design used the front panels from the 1959–1960 Studebaker Lark passenger car and was available in 1/2-ton and 3/4-ton models.
The 1/2, 3/4, and 1-ton trucks were generally available with both 6-cylinder and V8 engines (no six-cylinder engines were available in the 1-ton trucks after 1960). Larger trucks came with V8s only. Beginning with the 1962 7E models, a 130 hp (97 kW)212 cu in (3.5 L) Detroit Diesel engine was also available in those of 1-ton or above capacity, and air brakes could be had on 2-ton models. A "96BBC" (meaning 96 inches from bumper to back of cab) was available in both gasoline- and diesel-powered models beginning in 1962. The short cab length was achieved by deleting the fiberglass grille, flattening the front of the hood, and applying a very distinctive flat nose below the hood. This model was produced in response to some state laws that restricted the overall length of tractor trailers, and thus permitted the use of longer trailers. In the last two model years a 97 hp (72 kW)159 cu in (2.6 L) three-cylinder Detroit Diesel 3D-53 engine was offered in 1 and 1½-ton configurations (8E15 and 8E25). Production of diesel-engined models was very low, although they continued to be available until the end in 1964. [3]
Four-wheel drive was available on 1/2 and 3/4-ton models beginning in 1957. Studebaker did not make the 4WD equipment themselves, but (in common with Chevrolet and GMC at the time) purchased the hardware from NAPCO (Northwestern Auto Parts Company).
Commer was a British manufacturer of commercial and military vehicles from 1905 until 1979. Commer vehicles included car-derived vans, light vans, medium to heavy commercial trucks, and buses. The company also designed and built some of its own diesel engines for its heavy commercial vehicles.
The International Harvester Company was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household equipment, and more. It was formed from the 1902 merger of McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and Deering Harvester Company and three smaller manufacturers: Milwaukee; Plano; and Warder, Bushnell, and Glessner. Its brands included McCormick, Deering, and later McCormick-Deering, as well as International. Along with the Farmall and Cub Cadet tractors, International was also known for the Scout and Travelall vehicle nameplates. In the 1980s all divisions were sold off except for International Trucks, which changed its parent company name to Navistar International.
The D/W series is a line of pickup trucks that was sold by Dodge from October 1960 to September 30, 1993. The same basic design was retained until the October 1993 introduction of a completely redesigned Ram. The D/W series shared its AD platform with the Dodge Ramcharger/Plymouth Trail Duster twins. 4x2 models were designated D, while 4x4 models were designated W.
The Datsun Truck is a compact pickup truck made by Nissan in Japan from 1955 through 1997. It was originally sold under the Datsun brand, but this was switched to Nissan in 1983. It was replaced in 1997 by the Frontier and Navara. In Japan, it was sold only in Nissan Bluebird Store locations.
The Jeep Forward Control is a truck that was produced by Willys Motors, later named Kaiser Jeep, from 1956 to 1965. It was also assembled in other international markets. The layout featured a cab over design.
The Studebaker Champ was a light-duty pickup truck produced by the Studebaker Corporation from 1960-1964, the last such vehicles designed by the company before leaving the automobile manufacturing business in 1966.
Transtar was the model name given to the line of pickup trucks produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, from 1956-1958 and 1960-1963. The name was used on most trucks in the Studebaker E-series, but not all. The Transtar name was first introduced for the 1956 model year in 1/2-ton, 3/4-ton, 1-ton, 2-ton, and 2-ton heavy duty capacities. The three smaller models were available with factory-built pick-up bodies. The basic styling of these trucks dated back to the 1949 models, though they had received some styling and engineering changes in 1954 and 55. The Transtar name continued to be used on most of the 1957-58 3E series trucks, though a stripped-down Studebaker Scotsman model without the Transtar name was introduced in the 1958 model year. The 57-58 Transtars received an aggressive new fiberglass grille that attempted to make Studebaker's outdated cab design look fresh and new. For unknown reasons, the Transtar name was dropped for the 1959 4E series Studebaker trucks and changed to Deluxe.
The Hino Ranger is a medium or heavy duty commercial truck produced by Hino Motors since 1964. In the domestic market, its principal competitors are Isuzu Forward, Nissan Diesel/UD Condor and Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter.
The International TranStar, is a range of Class 8 trucks produced by Navistar International for North America. Produced nearly exclusively as a semitractor, the product range is focused towards local delivery and regional shipping.
The Task Force is a light and medium duty truck series by Chevrolet, their first major redesign since 1947. Its GMC counterpart was the GMC Blue Chip series. It was billed as being more stylish compared to the earlier Advance Design Series while still maintaining its rugged durability. First available on March 25, 1955, these trucks were sold with various minor changes over the years until 1959, when the C and K Series trucks replaced the Task Force models for 1960.
The Ford B series is a bus chassis that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Produced across six generations from 1948 to 1998, the B series was a variant of the medium-duty Ford F series. As a cowled-chassis design, the B series was a bare chassis aft of the firewall, intended for bodywork from a second-stage manufacturer. While primarily used for school bus applications in the United States and Canada, the chassis was exported worldwide to manufacturers to construct bus bodies for various uses.
The Nissan Junior was a series of medium-sized pickup trucks built from 1956 until 1982. It was introduced to fill the gap between the smaller, Datsun Bluebird based Datsun Truck, and heavier load capacity Nissans under the Nissan Diesel brand, like the 80-series trucks. After the merger with Prince Motor Company, the Junior and the Prince Miler were combined, sharing most of the characteristics, with the Junior sold at Nissan Bluebird Store Japanese dealerships, and the Miler sold at Nissan Prince Store until 1970.
The Chevrolet Van or Chevy Van is a range of vans that was manufactured by General Motors from the 1964 to 1996 model years. Introduced as the successor for the rear-engine Corvair Corvan/Greenbrier, the model line also replaced the panel van configuration of the Chevrolet Suburban. The vehicle was sold both in passenger van and cargo van configurations as well as a cutaway van chassis that served as the basis for a variety of custom applications.
The Nissan Caball is a light commercial truck manufactured by Nissan Motors from December 1957 until December 1981. The Caball was mainly sold in Japan, Hong Kong, South East Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand, and few European countries and shared the Nissan Junior platform. While the Caball name came to an end in 1981 with the cancellation of the Junior, its larger replacement received the Nissan Atlas name in the domestic Japanese market. These are 2-4 ton trucks, the lighter versions in the Atlas truck range took over after the lesser Cabstar/Homer. In Japan, it was available at Nissan Store locations and replaced by the Nissan Atlas.
The fifth generationof the Ford F-Series is a line of pickup trucks and commercial trucks that were produced by Ford from the 1967 to 1972 model years. Built on the same platform as the fourth generation F-series trucks, the fifth generation had sharper styling lines, a larger cab, and expanded engine options.
Mack Trucks has been selling heavy duty trucks and buses to the United States military since 1911. Virtually every model has been used. The majority have been commercial models designed and built by Mack with their own components, but they have also designed and built military specification tactical trucks. The military vehicles are rated by payload measured in tons.
The Ford FK, short for "Ford Köln," is a series of medium-duty trucks built by Ford of Germany in their Cologne (Köln) plant in two generations from 1951 until 1961. The Ford "Köln" name replaced the earlier Rhein and Ruhr badges as competitor Krupp (Südwerke) had quietly copyrighted them. Ford Germany withdrew from the truck sector after 1961, focusing on lighter utility vehicles and imports from Ford UK.
In 1939 Dodge presented a completely new designed line of pickups and trucks. Formally the T series for 1939, V series for 1940, and the W series from 1941 through 1947, the trucks became mostly known as the Dodge Job-Rated trucks.
The Studebaker 2R is a series of light- and medium-duty trucks built by the Studebaker Corporation from April 1948 until the end of 1953. For the 1954 model year, after a light redesign, the line was renamed 3R and built for an additional eight months. Studebaker had worked on a still born post-war design earlier, called the R, and so the new truck was given the 2R designation. The most distinctive characteristic of Studebaker 2R/3R trucks is the cab, which remained in production with minor changes through the 1959 model year. A one-piece windshield arrived in February 1954 and a larger rear window arrived in 1955 for the succeeding E-series.