The Studebaker name comes from Peter Studebaker who emigrated with his family from Germany to the USA in 1736.  He and his son – also called Peter – were wagonmakers as well as being very successful businessmen and land owners.  The Studebaker Corporation was established in South Bend, Indiana in 1902.  Their first cars were powered by either electric or petrol engines.  Over the next five decades, Studebakers established a reputation for both quality and reliability.  In 1954, the company merged with Packard but cash flow problems meant that the last cars to be badged as Studebaker were built in 1967.