International Drive Your Studebaker Day

Ahhhh. A bear in his natural habitat. A Studebaker.

Fozzie Bear

There is a car that has long held a reputation for being a beautiful and elegant tribute to automotive luxury, made with the finest engineering and owned by some of the most affluent men and women in the world. That car is the Studebaker.

For many years there would be rapt anticipation as people awaited the newest edition of the Studebaker to be released, their eagerness in part due to the classic designs and incredible engineering each new model revealed. Studebaker Day celebrates these incredible automobiles and the place the play in our automotive history.

History of International Drive Your Studebaker Day

The history of the Studebaker goes back a surprisingly long time, finding its roots in 1736 when Peter Studebaker and his family arrived in the New World aboard the ship Harle. Originally from Rotterdam, Holland, Peter, and Anna Studebaker, along with Peter’s brother Clement and his wife Anna and their cousin Heinrich, arrived seeking opportunity in the largely untamed American Frontier. From their home on Bakers Lookout, which still stands today, they built the first Studebakers in the factory that was erected alongside their home.

Transportation proved to be in the families bones, with their legend beginning with the creation of the Broadfording Wagon Road, the longest road of its kind in Washington County, Maryland. 18 years later the entire first generation of Studebaker immigrants had passed on, but the legacy of their name and their place in the transportation industry lived on through their children. For the next hundred years they maintained their place until, in 1895, the first Studebaker horseless carriage was constructed. The business would continue for the next 70 or 80 years before they finally diversified out of producing their vehicles, leaving a legacy of elegant and well-designed cars and fond memories in their wake.

How to celebrate International Drive Your Studebaker Day

If you’re one of the fortunate few who still own one of the classic Studebakers, then Studebaker Day is your opportunity to take it out on the road and show people what solid Dutch-American craftsmanship looks like on four wheels. From the Studebaker line of cars to their reliable and sturdy line of trucks there are thousands of these still on the road being driven by enthusiasts who refuse to let these beautiful vehicles fade from the world’s roadways. If you’ve never seen a Studebaker ‘in the flesh,’ there are rallies and get-togethers all over the world that you can attend to see them!