Bob's Studebaker Resource Website
Studebaker South Africa
The first Studebaker left the production line in November 1948 despite the fact that the factory had not yet been completed.
Over the years a number of different Studebaker models became available, the two most popular during the late 1940's and early 1950's were the Champion and Commander. Engines were available in various capacities and kW ratings, some of which ranged between 3.2 and 4.0 litres, producing 60 and 74.5 kW respectively. The 4.0 litre V-8 engine of the early 1950's produced 104 kW initially and 120 kW later.
Famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy was responsible not only for the Lucky Strike cigarette packet design amongst others, but also for the daring bullet-shaped design of the Studebaker of the late 1940's and early 1950's.
A total of 977 Studebakers were delivered to dealers by the end of 1949 - a number that compares with the number of Citi Golf currently sold in one month.
SAMAD stopped the assembly of Studebakers in 1965, the compact Studebaker Lark being the last variant built.
From 1950 to 1955, SAMAD also assembled Austin cars on contract to Austin of England. The VW Transporter (Kombi) was introduced to the range in 1955 after the Austin contract was terminated and would remain in production for nearly 47 years.
1950's: SAMAD entered into an agreement with Volkswagen in Germany in July 1951 to assemble the unconventional air-cooled, rear-engined Volkswagen Beetle in Uitenhage. This was a bold step as the car was virtually unknown in South Africa with only a few privately imported examples to be seen. The first locally assembled Beetle rolled off the production line on 31 August 1951.
Early Beetles were fitted with an 1100 cc engine developing 22 kW. Capacity was increased at the end of 1953 to 1200 cc, the engine developing 27 kW and again in 1961 when horsepower was increased to 30kW, although the engine was still 1200 cc. More powerful 1300, 1500 and 1600 cc engines followed between 1966 and 1971. Interestingly, the most powerful Beetle was the SP 1600 introduced in the closing months of 1976 which produced 50 kW, more than twice as much power as the old 1100 motor.
(From:https://www.gticlub.co.za/news/250303a.htm)
Studebaker's association with South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors (SAMAD) began with the signing of a franchise agreement in October 1946 to assemble Studebakers in Uitenhage.
INTRODUCTION: (from:https://www.metromediasa.com/content.asp?PageID=592) In July 1951, Nordhoff, Brookes and Von Oertzen formally signed an agreement between Volkswagenwerk and SAMAD that enabled the Uitenhage plant to assemble and distribute VW vehicles and parts in the Union of South Africa. Two fully-assembled cars had been dispatched from the VW factory in Wolfsburg to be used for evaluation and as a platform for training for local assembly. The second arrived in Uitenhage in early August 1951. By the end of that month amidst cheers and broad smiles, the very first locally-assembled Beetle was driven off the SAMAD production line. It was a momentous day for the company and the start of a love affair between VW and South African motorists. It also put Uitenhage on the map as the home of the successful motor manufacturer. Extract from a speech by Dr. Carl Hahn, Chairman of Volkswagen, at the Drostdy Museum, 5 October 1987: "It never ceases to amaze me how events which seem to be relatively insignificant at the time, lead to great things. It is not generally known that the late father of Mr. Dawie le Roux MP, Mr. Pieter le Roux, had a part to play in the birth of Volkswagen in South Africa." "At a time when SAMAD was a small, struggling company assembling Studebakers and Austins, Mr. Le Roux, then manager of Standard Bank here in Uitenhage, read in a bank bulletin that the young Volkswagen organisation in Germany was in the process of developing export markets." "Mr. le Roux immediately contacted the then Managing Director of SAMAD, Mr. Mel Brooks, and suggested to him that he should investigate the possibility of obtaining a licence to assemble Volkswagens in Uitenhage. Mr. Brooks followed his advice, and the rest is history…" |