The Canadian door to the Empire trade

1910 — 1968

Built in Canada, sold as British: The automobile's export problem was the tariff, and Studebaker's answer was a Canadian factory. Plant 7 at Walkerville, Ontario — acquired with the E-M-F purchase of 1910 — assembled complete cars from components shipped from the South Bend and Detroit factories or made in Canada, and its output, in the marque record's words, "was designated for the Canadian (left-hand drive) and British Empire (right-hand drive) trade. By locating it there, Studebaker could advertise the cars as 'British-built' and qualify for reduced tariffs." South Bend's parts thus reached the whole Commonwealth through a Canadian door. The European trade had its own flagship moment: the Erskine Six, the company's new small car, was launched in Paris in 1926 and sold 26,000 abroad in its first season, as the Studebaker section records. Marque literature adds a smaller artifact of the export trade: the model Americans knew as the Dictator was sold in Europe and the British Empire under the name Director. After the Second World War the Canadian operation moved to Hamilton, Ontario, where the first car came off the line on 18 August 1948 in a former anti-aircraft-gun factory; when South Bend closed in December 1963, Hamilton became the company's only plant, and the last Studebaker of all was built there in March 1966. Australia closed the circuit: fully assembled Studebakers were exported there from 1948 in limited numbers, and from 1960 Larks, Champ pickups and Silver Hawks were assembled in Melbourne from completely-knocked-down kits manufactured at Hamilton — South Bend's design, Ontario's kits, Victoria's assembly — until the last Australian car in 1968.

Sources:

1. The marque and encyclopedia record of Studebaker's factories (Walkerville Plant 7; Hamilton; Melbourne) — Walkerville's assembly from South Bend and Detroit components for the Canadian and British Empire trade, advertised as "British-built" for the tariff; Hamilton's first car of 18 August 1948 and its succession as sole plant; Melbourne assembly from Hamilton CKD kits, 1960–1968, preceded by fully assembled exports from 1948.
2. Canada Science and Technology Museum, "In Search of the Canadian Car: Studebaker" — the Walkerville plant assembling cars from American parts, advertised as "British built," giving the company "access to the entire Commonwealth market."
3. Studebaker — the Erskine Six's Paris launch of 1926 and 26,000 sold abroad in its first season, and the Hamilton end of the line in March 1966 (the last car's date, 16 or 17 March, carried open there), cross-referenced and not retold here.
4. Marque literature on the Dictator/Director (Mac's Motor City Garage and the model histories) — export cars for Europe and the British Empire wearing the name Director.