U.S. #3931
37¢ Studebaker Starliner
America on the Move Booklet Stamps
Issue Date: August 20, 2005
City: Detroit, MI
Printing Method: Lithographed
Color: Multicolored
Studebaker Starliner
When they opened their blacksmith and wagon-building shop in South Bend, Indiana, in 1852, the Studebaker brothers had a motto: “Always give the customer more than you promise, but not too much, or you’ll go broke.” Studebaker eventually became the world’s largest wagon manufacturer. The company entered the auto market with an electric car in 1902.
After World War II, Studebaker commissioned the Raymond Loewy studio to design a new car for young drivers. Widely considered the first American sports car, the 1953 Studebaker Starliner was a masterpiece, fashioned like a European sports coupe.
Long, low, and racy, the car featured a sloping hood for better visibility. The body was so streamlined that there was almost no wind-whistle at top speeds. The Museum of Modern Art honored the Starliner as a “work of art” in its 1953 exhibition Ten Automobiles.
The Starliner had the sporty look and most of the handling qualities of European sports cars with some of the comfort and most of the durability of the American family car. As for speed, at a time when most auto manufacturers were increasing horsepower, Studebaker president Harold Vance declared, “100 miles per hour should be fast enough for anybody.”