Proud preacher Studebaker owner...

[keiser31]

Check out this Studebaker...looks like it was just purchased by the preacherman. What year is the coupe?

[Dave Henderson]

Seemingly small diameter hubcaps and height of headlights point toward it being a 1929 Commander

[nzcarnerd]

This one has the hood louvres in groups of four which would suggest it is a 1930 model. It is probably a 1930 Commander GJ which was a carry-over model from 1929 and used a long stroke version of the Dictator six engine. From what I have seen the small and large hubcap wheel styles overlapped in 1929-30. I have a late 1928 Dictator with those same wheels on it.

[Mark Huston]

The hood louvers on this car were used in 1930 on the Dictator 6 and 8, and also on the Erskine. The Erskine had painted headlight buckets which lead me to believe that this car is a 1930 Dictator. The car in this photo is missing the badger bar that would have been between the headlights telling us if the car was a FC Dictator 8 or a GL Dictator 6. The Commanders did not have the distinctive louver pattern as shown in this photo.

[nzcarnerd]

I agree with you re it not being a Commander, I hadn't checked my Studebaker book closely enough. Could it be a late 1930 Studebaker model 53 with optional chromed lights?

[Mark Huston]

You are correct; the Model 53 replaced the Erskine name in 1930. It is possible the photo could depict a 1930 deluxe Model 53, or a Dictator. I am leaning towards a Dictator because the small hub cab was still used in 1930 on wood wheel cars (a large cap was used on wire wheels). In the 1928-30 model years upgraded models nearly always included wire wheels. Because this car has what appears to be the wood wheel hub caps I believe it is 1930 Dictator in standard form. Of course I could be wrong, it has been known to happen.