Studebaker launched the Erskine at $995 banking on upscale appeal. Within a year, Ford's Model A undercut it by $470 — a blow that forced a hasty redesign and helped end the badge by 1930.
Lead trim: Erskine Six (114 in wheelbase)
Studebaker Erskine50 · 1927–1930
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FactStudebaker launched the Erskine at $995 banking on upscale appeal. Within a year, Ford's Model A undercut it by $470 — a blow that forced a hasty redesign and helped end the badge by 1930.
The Erskine was an American automobile brand produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana from 1926 to 1930 (model years 1927–1930; designer Ray Dietrich), named for Studebaker's president Albert Russel Erskine, who saw market potential in a short-wheelbase compact car and had the Erskine Six first launched in Paris. Marketed as "The Little Aristocrat" for $995 with Continental six-cylinder engines rather than Studebaker's more advanced units, its demand was promising until Ford's Model A undercut it by $470; the wheelbase was then grown from 108 in to 114 in and the Erskine, no longer small, was absorbed into Studebaker by May 1930 (the 1931 Rockne followed). Production: 24,893 in 1927, 22,275 in 1928, 25,565 in 1929 and 22,371 in 1930; the page lists engines of 146–205 cu in (2–3 L) across Models 50 to 53.
Collectors Spotted in the Studebaker Erskine Lineage
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Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erskine Six (108 in wheelbase) | 1927–1928 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Erskine Six (114 in wheelbase) | 1928–1930 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Rivals
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