This car's name was a boast, not a political statement — Studebaker meant that it "dictated the standard" other automakers would have to follow. It only got dropped in 1937 once the word's new company kept.
Lead trim: Dictator eight-cylinder 221 cu in (70 bhp at 3,200 rpm, from June 1929)
Studebaker DictatorGE · 1927–1937
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Studebaker Dictator yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThis car's name was a boast, not a political statement — Studebaker meant that it "dictated the standard" other automakers would have to follow. It only got dropped in 1937 once the word's new company kept.
The Studebaker Dictator (sold overseas as the Studebaker Director) was built from 1927 to 1937: the former Standard Six became the Dictator for the 1927 model year (internally model GE; the name meant the model "dictated the standard" for other makes), with 1928 the first full year of production. It was Studebaker's lowest-priced model, below the Commander and President, available in a full range of body styles, plus a one-year Chancellor in 1927. In June 1929 an eight-cylinder engine (221 cubic inches, 3,620 cc, 70 bhp at 3,200 rpm, designed by Barney Roos) was offered alongside the six; there was no 1933 Dictator because of Studebaker's bankruptcy, a redesigned lower-priced six came in 1934 and the eight was then offered only on the Commander and President. The name was dropped in 1937 in favour of the Commander, at a time when Raymond Loewy and Helen Dryden were working on new body concepts.
Collectors Spotted in the Studebaker Dictator Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Studebaker Dictator yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dictator eight-cylinder 221 cu in (70 bhp at 3,200 rpm, from June 1929) | 1929–1932 | 3.6 L | 70 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
Rivals
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