The antique cars, exuding the romance of the early days of the automobile, travel down the road with a regal style.
Studebakers were manufactured for more than 50 years. But it’s the earliest versions — antique autos from the pre-World War II years — that bring with them the kind of magic that appeals to collectors across the world.
Few of the South Bend-made cars are still around. That makes preserving the Studebaker history all the more important.
“Our people really like to drive our cars. We tend to do a lot more tours,” said Mimi Halgren, president of the Antique Studebaker Club. “We have a few club members with absolutely gorgeous cars from the ‘20s and ‘30s.”
Don’t be surprised to see dozens of classic Studebaker cars swarming around Johnson County in the coming days. The Antique Studebaker Club, an organization of enthusiasts of pre-World War II models of the car, is hosting its annual meeting in Greenwood this year, its 50th anniversary.
Club members — and their sleek, timeless autos — will be in town Sunday through Wednesday. A number will also be staying for the Studebaker Drivers Club International Meet in Indianapolis through Sept. 11.
Participants plan to gather to discuss club business and catch up with one another, in addition to touring private auto collections and meeting at the Johnson County Museum of History.
“They reached out to us, and we were happy to have they stop by. A national Studebaker Club, with the history that they have in South Bend, there’s a great Indiana connection,” said David Pfeiffer, director of the museum. “We appreciate them wanting to come down here, to get that local history aspect.
“To have a national club like that, with cars coming from all over the country, is quite a feather in the cap for Johnson County.”
Though the Antique Studebaker Club was founded and is based in California, it is fitting that its annual meeting is going to be in Indiana. The Studebaker Corporation was based in South Bend, and it originally had been coachbuilder — manufacturing wagons, buggies, carriages and harnesses. Eventually, production transitioned to electric vehicles, before switching to gasoline automobiles in the 1910s.
Studebakers developed a reputation for quality, durability and reliability. The cars continued to be produced until the final Studebaker was manufactured in 1966.
The Antique Studebaker Club was founded in 1971 in California, with members focused on restoring and maintaining older Studebaker automobiles — through the 1946 vehicles and the 1948 M-Series trucks. The club is a subset of the Studebaker Drivers Club.
Automobiles are what bring the members together. But the club also is dedicated to preserving and advancing the history of the Studebaker Corporation and its branch subsidiaries. Club members also relish the opportunity to take their collections out on the road.
“Probably one of the big differences between our club and the general (Studebaker Drivers Club) is that, Halgren said.
The annual meetings are a way to explore different communities around the country, not only gathering as a club but touring collections and attractions that appeal to their love of the automobile.
Every five years or so, the club returns to the place where the Studebaker story started — South Bend.
“You’ll see hundreds of old Studebakers cruising around town. It’s so cool,” Halgren said.
Halgren’s husband, Bob, was a Studebaker enthusiast, and she quickly developed an appreciation for the cars once they married. They were part of the Studebaker Drivers Club, active on the local and then the national level.
After buying a 1924 Light Six model, and then later a 1937 Studebaker, they became more involved with the Antique Studebaker Club.
“It’s a way for everyone to come together, show off their car and meet old friends,” Halgren said.
George Rohrbach, a retired dentist from Center Valley, Pennsylvania, has been involved with Studebakers since the early 1970s. His 1922 Light Six Touring model was the least expensive Studebaker that was available in the early 1920s, though people could still buy three Model T Fords for the cost of the automobile, Rohrback said.
He is eagerly anticipating coming to Greenwood for the annual meeting.
“The national meets are always a great trip, and it is nice to see some new areas of the country, and visit with friends that we don’t get to see often,” Rohrbach said in an email.
During the annual meeting in Greenwood, the Antique Studebaker Club plans to branch out around central Indiana on different tours with their cars. The group plans to visit a local private automobile collection, and possibly go to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
On Tuesday, they’ll also be stopping by the Johnson County Museum of History.
“They asked that we have a docent or someone in each of our galleries, so they can park their cars and then walk around and ask questions about a specific exhibit,” Pfeiffer said.
For club members, the trip is a chance to see a new part of Indiana that few of them have ever been to, Halgren said. So Johnson County residents should expect to see a wide variety of the classic Studebaker cars rolling through town for the next few days.
“We’re excited to go to Greenwood. Most of us have been to Indianapolis and South Bend, but this will be our first time there,” Halgren said.
