Service Nearby - 1932 Studebaker "ready and able to help"

[Walt G]

I thought about posting this in the Studebaker section here on the forums but in order to reach a broader audience I am placing it in the General section. The topic is seldom discussed by anyone. Where were the cars pre WWII era serviced? Dealerships as now had service areas BUT many were not located at the place of sales of the cars themselves. They were at a different building/location altogether. This was especially true in larger towns  and cities. In NY City most of the service areas were along the west side of Manhattan on the north /south streets that parallel the Hudson river. It was more industrial, plus cross streets in the upper 50s by number , below 59th street.This could be a whole article with photographs of the state of the buildings currently but our club magazine has no room for such stories.

This is taken from the 1932 Studebaker dealer's album that had sections in a loose leaf ring bound binder. this section is 63 pages and covered facts about the 1932 Studebakers - all models and series. This "Book of facts" has so much information in it and I thought this page is just a great overview of where Studebakers were popular at the time . It notes that the people working at the service areas were factory trained.

Other car manufacturers had similar ( but not exactly the same) facilities and specialized in one or two makes.

 

 

[1937hd45]

Walt, I'd like to see the Ford version of that map. 🙂

[Walt G]

Bob

If there was one I believe it would perhaps have been titled  Fix Or Repair Daily 🙃

Walt

[1937hd45]

First On Race Day

[SC38dls]

Remote NV and NM had more service centers than SC. 
dave s 

[58L-Y8]

Interesting map, thanks for posting it, Walt.  Beyond the Studebaker service locations, it reveals the national population distribution as of the early 1930's.  Concentrations in the industrialized Northeast and Midwest around Chicago and Minneapolis were the norm.  California shows the areas where development would burgeon after WWII.  

[Walt G]

As is mentioned this map tells us way more then just were Studebaker service areas were. It is a great commentary on where the focus of car buyers were that warranted the time and cost to set up a service center with capable factory trained mechanics. It is great social and economic commentary of that time period.  I look at automotive history and facts beyond the nature of just the cars. I am also an active local/state historian for that history so observe how it all plays together to give us a broad picture.

[Buffalowed Bill]

Sometime ago, someone, I believe it was Bob Palma, came up with some interesting statistics which showed the number of cars registered in each state, in 1949. The breakdown also showed the number of cars registered by manufacturer. I'm sure that used as a tool a sociologist could use the data to draw some interesting profiles of the people living within a given state and maybe the longevity of a particular make. Why I remember it so well is that while fewer cars were sold in the state of Washington data showed that the state was #3, I believe, in registered Studebakers that year. If I got any of this wrong I plead the 5th.  

[32tatra]

 This was the Studebaker dealership in Brooklyn New York,  located by Bedford Ave off Eastern Parkway.  Studebaker moved out in 1939, the building still stand and is now a apartment building called the Studebaker building.

[zepher]

On 11/17/2022 at 9:14 AM, 1937hd45 said:

First On Race Day

Found On Road, Dead

 

Found this old thread.
https://forums.aaca.org/topic/71416-ford-found-on-road-dead-or-got-any-others/

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by zepher (see edit history)