Erskine (automobile)
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The Erskine was an American automobile brand produced by the Studebaker Corporation of
South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...
, United States, from 1926 to 1930. The marque was named after Albert Russel Erskine (1871–1933), Studebaker's president at the time. During his term as president, Erskine encouraged Studebaker engineers to develop advanced engines. As a result, the company achieved numerous racing wins and a bigger share of the upper-price market. This left Studebaker without an entry level automobile in the United States, and Erskine, who had always been fascinated by smaller European vehicles, saw market potential in a short-wheel-base compact car, especially if it could expand Studebaker's presence in the European market. The Erskine Six was therefore first launched in Paris.Longstreet, Stephen ''A Century on Wheels: The Story of Studebaker'', New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1952, p. 91 When introduced in time for the American 1927 model year, the car was named after its creator, and marketed a
The Little Aristocrat
To make the Erskine affordable, Studebaker fitted the cars with six-cylinder
Continental engine Continental Aerospace Technologies is an aircraft engine manufacturer located at the Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It was originally spun off from automobile engine manufacturer Continental Motors Company in 1929 and o ...
s rather than the more advanced Studebaker units and priced the cars at $995. Body design was by
Ray Dietrich Dietrich Inc. was an American coachbuilder founded in 1925 by Raymond H. Dietrich (1894–1980), co-founder of LeBaron Incorporated in New York City. He was a close friend to Edsel Ford who supported him by talking the owner of the J W Murray Man ...
; the design proved to be quite a head-turner, and received numerous accolades from the British and French press. Initially, sales demand was promising. However, within a year
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
introduced its Model A and priced it at $525, undercutting the Erskine by $470. To remedy this, Studebaker marketing suggested that the Erskine become a larger car which, when implemented, grew the wheelbase from to . The Erskine was no longer small, and became more like its Studebaker brethren. Ultimately, the Erskine was absorbed into Studebaker by May 1930. A little over a year later, Studebaker would try again with the 1931
Rockne The Rockne was an American automobile brand produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, from 1932 to 1933. The brand was named for University of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne and were produced in Detroit, Michigan. U ...
brand automobile. To his credit, Albert Russel Erskine successfully strengthened Studebaker’s core automobile business and helped to guide the corporation toward technical advancements that eventually would help the company through the first few years of the depression. However Erskine also encouraged the payment of stockholder dividends from Studebaker’s capital reserves as the depression deepened; this inflated the value of the stock, and eventually weakened the company. In addition to the two failed marques he created (Rockne and Erskine), Erskine also had purchased luxury car maker
Pierce-Arrow The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was an American motor vehicle manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, which was active from 1901 to 1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks ...
during the high rolling 1920s, which had to be sold off to investors as a means of improving cash flow. Faced with loss of control of Studebaker, Albert Russel Erskine committed suicide in 1933 on the Studebaker proving grounds (now Bendix Woods Park) outside of South Bend, Indiana.


Production totals (model year) for Erskine

*1927, 24,893 units *1928, 22,275 units *1929, 25,565 units *1930, 22,371 units


Online resources


From Horses to Horsepower, Studebaker Moves a Nation, Smithsonian Institution


References

* * {{Studebaker historic timeline Studebaker Erskine (marque) 1920s cars 1930s cars Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Indiana