The year 1952 would be the 100^th anniversary of when Studebaker built their first covered wagons. In just another 20 years, they would be the largest horse-drawn vehicle builder in the world. They began transitioning to the “new-fangled” automobile 30 years after that and it would become their primary business until the end came in 1966. This 1952 Studebaker Commander is said to be a barn find from Texas that’s in need of a total restoration. But it has “suicide doors”, something that Lincoln would become famous for a decade later. This car is in Apache Junction, Arizona and available here on craigslist for $2,200. Thanks to PaulG for bringing this old Stude to our attention!

After the end of World War II, the first new Studebakers would hit the scene in 1947. Although that platform was intended to be replaced in 1952, the cars would have to settle for a facelift until 1953. Most noticeable for ’52 was the low and toothy full-width grille that Raymond Loewy’s gang would dub “the clam digger” (just look at the photos and you’ll see why). Studebaker would pace the Indianapolis 500 that year and both the Commander and Champ models took home prizes in the annual Mobilgas Economy Run. Studebaker production would exceed 168,000 units, far shy of what GM, Ford and Chrysler would do. Various versions of the Commander would be about half of Studebaker sales that year. Thanks, How Stuff Works, for the Studebaker trip down memory lane.

The Commander nameplate would appear on various Studebaker models over the years starting in 1927. It would be in the sales literature every year until 1964, except for 1936 and 1959-63. If you were looking for a senior level Studebaker in 1952, the Commander was what you bought, like this one. It’s a two-tone edition, with black on the top and yellow on the bottom. The seller refers to this car as one of six made, but we can’t ascertain why. Is it because of the color combination?  It can’t be the 233 cubic-inch V-8 (one of the smallest we’ve seen) as it was a Commander staple. Perhaps some astute Barn Finds reader has the key to unlock this mystery.

Rust is present on this car, but it seems in patches, with the worst of it perhaps being the trunk lid. But since we can see the underbelly of the Commander, we really can’t attest as to whether this creates a make or break issue. There is no mention if the car runs, so we’ll assume it does not. The Studebaker Commander wasn’t a cheap car in 1952, nor was it crazy money at about $2,500 at its snazziest. While cars like this are rare nearly 70 years later, even superb examples don’t sell for more than $15-18,000 according to Hagerty. The seller has priced this one at half of what fair examples might command. So, if this car doesn’t have hidden troubles, this might be a good way to bring an old Studebaker back to life. And dig those suicide doors, even though on a sedan and not a hardtop.