​How the 1947 Studebaker Commander Changed the Look of American Cars

By the 1920s, cars in America had become mainstream. The affordability, dependability, and ready supply meant that many urban families could own one. But despite the advances in technology, the design style had stayed largely the same since the early Fords, Lincolns, and Oldsmobiles. Cars were boxy with higher end models overwhelmed with chrome ornaments.

Then came Raymond Loewy. He saw the potential of artistic automotive design. Although his work spanned many industries, his designs for Studebaker are among his most lasting. He designed the 1947 Studebaker Commander to be a sleek, aerodynamic car unlike anything that had been on the market. Studebaker would cease operations only two decades later, but this unique styling lived on to be the basis of some of today’s most popular collector cars.

Raymond Loewy: The Father of Modern Design

Raymond Loewy was a French emigrant to America in 1919. By 1920, he had already made himself a name in the New York fashion industry and would quickly become “America’s designer.” He pioneered the idea that form was as important as function and branding - a concept which did not yet exist - was key to a company’s success.

These were new ideas in the 1920s and 1930s, but they caught on fast. Loewy and his design team introduced flowing lines, sleek styling, and minimalism. Working on everything from refrigerators to locomotives to Coca-Cola bottles, Loewy left his design mark on many products.

Studebaker contracted with Raymond Loewy in 1936, by which time he was already an icon. Loewy was working on other car designs simultaneously, including the 1941 Lincoln Continental and Hubmobile. But it was the circumstances behind the post-war Studebaker Commander that poised Loewy’s designs to revolutionize the look of the automobile industry.

The 1947 Studebaker Commander Design

During World War II, the US government issued a suspension on new automotive designs as resources were needed for the war effort. Since the Loewy design company was an independent contractor, they were not subject to the same restrictions and could continue designing throughout the course of the war.

The car Loewy and his associates created for Studebaker was sleek in design with an aerodynamic look that imitated fighter planes. Following the war victory, this design enabled Studebaker to be the “First by Far with a Post-War Car” and be the first on the market with the 1947 Commander. After almost no consumer spending during the Great Depression and WWII, buyers were ready. The new design with its ultramodern styling faced some criticism, but was by and large a success.

Under the hood, the 1947 Studebaker Commander had a 6-cylinder engine with 94 horsepower and a 3 speed transmission. It was Studebaker’s high end offering of the year, so additional features like stainless steel trim. A convertible option, with a few over 1500 cars produced that year, remains among the rarest of the 1947 Studebakers.

By 1950, Ford, General Motors, and Chrystler had released their post-war cars as well and followed the trend of streamlining, although they would not have the same aerodynamic appeal as the Commander until the 1980s. The Commander ushered in the designs that would characterize cars through the 1950s and 1960s.

Loewy’s design company would continue to work with Studebaker over the next few years, coming out with additional noteworthy designs including the 1953 Studebaker Starliner coupe with its iconic “bullet nose” and the 1962 Studebaker Avanti.

Today, many of the Loewy-designed Studebakers, including the 1947 Commander, are still regarded as the pinnacle of post-war design and the precursor to the future of automotive styling. Vintage Studebakers still turn heads on the street and at car shows, largely due to the partnership between Studebaker and Raymond Loewy.