Studebaker-Garford was an

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded ...

produced and distributed jointly by the Garford Company of

Elyria, Ohio Elyria ( ) is a city in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan statistical area and the county seat of Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located at the forks of the Black River in Northeast Ohio 23 miles southwest of Cleveland. As of the 2020 ...

, and the

Studebaker Corporation Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Ma ...

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

, from 1904 through 1911. During its production, the car was sold as a Studebaker, per the marketing agreement between the two firms, but Studebaker collectors break the vehicles out under the Studebaker-Garford name because of the extent of Garford components. Garford was a manufacturer of automobile components and chassis for a number of early automotive works. Studebaker, which had been in the wagon-making business since the 1850s, produced their first automobile in 1897, but did not go into full production until 1902 with the introduction of the

Studebaker Electric The Studebaker Electric was an automobile produced by the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company of South Bend, Indiana, a forerunner of the Studebaker Corporation. The battery-powered cars were sold from 1902 to 1912. Studebaker entered into ...

. Under the agreement, Garford would assemble each chassis, and then ship it to South Bend for completion. Studebaker-Garfords were powered by gasoline engines which initially produced 8 bhp. The first Studebaker-Garfords were designated Models “A” and “B”, and were listed as five-passenger

touring car Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof). "Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s. Th ...

s with a detachable

tonneau A tonneau ( or ) is an area of a car or truck open at the top. It can be for passengers or cargo. A tonneau cover in current automotive terminology is a hard or soft cover that spans the back of a pickup truck to protect the load or to improve ...

, which, once removed, converted the car into a two-person runabout. The Model “C” was also introduced in 1904 and is considered the first formal touring car, but did not come with a collapsible (convertible) top. Headlights for the cars were available at extra cost. Until its final year, the car received a number of mechanical upgrades as technology advanced: * 1905, Series 15HP was powered by a two-cylinder horizontal engine producing 15 bhp. Series 020HP introduced a four-cylinder engine, but the engine delivered 15 bhp, not the promised 20 bhp. * 1906 Series E, F, and G were all four-cylinder cars with increased wheelbase, up two inches to 98” from the previous year. The Studebaker-Garford also introduced a town car body. Options for the open cars included a folding top and windshield. Prices listed for the Model G were $3,700 to $5,000 based on the body style used ($ in today's dollars). ::Note: Model G 30 was also built and sold as the Garford, beginning in 1908, after Studebaker took control of the

E-M-F Company The E-M-F Company was an early American automobile manufacturer that produced automobiles from 1909 to 1912. The name E-M-F was gleaned from the initials of the three company founders: Barney Everitt (a custom auto-body builder from Detroit), Wi ...

, with which it had also entered into a body-building, marketing, and distribution deal to sell E-M-F cars through Studebaker wagon dealerships. With the company no longer exclusively relying on Garford, Studebaker unofficially modified the agreement and allowed Garford to enter the automobile business on a limited basis. * 1907–1911 Studebaker-Garfords from this period emerged with more refinements, and more body styles with each model year. The last Studebaker exclusive model was the G-10. By 1910, however, chassis production was increasingly favoring Garford's own vehicle brand, and Studebaker was forced to take steps to reassert its contractual rights. Grudgingly, Garford accommodated Studebaker, but the relationship between the two companies became tense. However, by 1911, E-M-F's engine and chassis plant was bought out by Studebaker president Fred Fish and the two firms ended their tenuous relationship. Garford would continue producing its own cars, but without a distribution network firm, failed to produce a volume sufficient to make the organization profitable. In 1913, Garford was purchased by

John North Willys John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and merged into

Willys-Overland Willys (pronounced , "Willis" ) was a brand name used by Willys–Overland Motors, an American automobile company, founded by John North Willys. It was best known for its design and production of World War II era and later military jeeps (MBs) ...

References

{{Studebaker historic timeline Studebaker-Garford Studebaker Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Ohio Brass Era vehicles Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States 1900s cars Defunct manufacturing companies based in Ohio

See also

References