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Truck of the Day : July 7, 2014; M2 Machines '52 Studebaker 2R
Topic Started: Jul 6 2014, 11:52 PM (1,421 Views)
craftymore
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Support your local demo derby.

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Studebaker's 1952 2R from M2 Machines is the truck for today.

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Hemmings.com
 
Studebaker wasted little time after WW II answering the peacetime call for new haulers. South Bend's 2R series of trucks rolled out as 1949 models looking decades more advanced than the trucks they replaced--the dowdy but historically significant M series.
The M was Studebaker's first crack at a dedicated light truck; all previous attempts had been passenger cars with cargo beds. Right up until the end of production, the M was a breadwinner for South Bend--in 1947, the company built 23,377 M5s, surpassing the total of all motorized commercial vehicles produced by Studebaker during the years before World War II.

Losing this momentum and market share wasn't an option, so the 2R would have to be attractive enough to draw in buyers, yet tough and practical enough to handle hard work. Raymond Loewy's styling chief, Robert Bourke, was charged with the task of making the 2R appealing to buyers from the swelling Ford and GM camps or perhaps convert some Dodge and International Harvester loyalists.


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Hemmings.com
 
The upright look of the Studebaker M5 was gone, replaced with a rounded, streamlined look, somewhat reminiscent of GM's Advance Design rigs, but somehow more modern. One of the truck's most dramatic styling cues wasn't added by designers but rather subtracted--there were no exterior running boards or steps on this truck, neither beneath the doors nor at the front of the bed. Further distinguishing the 2Rs, they shared no body panels with Studebaker cars, though bits and pieces were swiped from the parts bins: headlamp rims and a hood ornament from the Champion, as well as hubcaps from the Commander. Finally, to ensure that the bed's streamlined look remained dent-free, the sides were double walled--a standard design in years to come, but unusual in the late 1940s. The 2R5 series 1/2-ton trucks were equipped with 6 1/2-foot boxes, the 3/4-ton 2R10 and 2R15 used 8-foot boxes, and all of the 2Rs could be purchased as a cab and chassis or with a stake bed.


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Click on Hemmings.com to learn more on the '52 Studebaker 2R.

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M2 launched their 'Auto-Truck' line with the Studebaker 2R being the main player. Johnny Lightning offered up the Studebaker Champ model which was the next in line from the company in the 1960s. Hot Wheels offered up a 'racing' version of that same Champ. The only other company from M2 to offer a stock representation of the 2R are the Shrock Brothers of Pennsylvania.

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Hemmings.com
 
There were two L-head six-cylinder powerplants on tap for Studebaker's 2R series trucks: the Econ-O-Miser and the Power-Plus. Initially, light trucks all ran the Econ-O-Miser while 1 1/2-ton and 2-ton trucks used the Power-Plus. The Econ-O-Miser, which was used in the Studebaker Champion, measured 169.6-cu.in. and was rated at 80hp, whereas the Power-Plus, which was used in the Studebaker Commander, checked in at 245-cu.in. with 102hp. Midway through 1950, the 245-inch Power Plus was made available across the board, while the 169.6-inch L-head received a compression ratio increase from 6.5:1 to 7:1, raising the horsepower from 80 to 85. (The 1/2-ton trucks with the 245 six-cylinder were known as 2R6s while 3/4-ton trucks with the larger engines were known as 2R11.) Studebaker didn't offer V-8s in trucks until 1955.
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ivantt
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New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
I love all these Studies that M2 is releasing. I think I have most of them, or at least the ones I could find!!
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pjedsel
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Muscle Car
M2 has done a fantastic job with the Studebaker pickup. I like the little alterations they make to represent the different model years. It really looks sharp in red. A classic '50's pickup. These old Studes bring back past summer memories with a high school/college friend who always had an assortment of Studebaker pickups to drive around in. :)
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juantoo3
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I found one of the M2 Studebaker pickups recently in the Driver's series, dark green almost olive drab...and noticed no opening doors. I know the doors have been a continuing sore spot, but I do hope the opening door tooling hasn't been permanently changed. Personally, I would prefer to see the opening doors improved rather than sealed. It is still refreshing to see so many now obscure 50s era models being brought back to mind by these fine little gems. I am very happy to see M2 putting effort in this direction!
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craftymore
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Support your local demo derby.

Wes - None of the models in the Driver's line feature opening parts. They are all cast over.
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juantoo3
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Agreed, the Drivers series is "economized" a bit to reach a more budget conscious price point. I just hope the opening door tooling isn't past tense at this point, on any of M2's castings.
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Dean-o-mite
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Muscle Car
Have no fear Wes. The Drivers and open door castings are made independently. The open door Studebakers have had numerous additional releases since the very first Drivers version came out a couple years ago.
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pjedsel
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Muscle Car
There was just another Studebaker wrecker issued and it has opening doors. :D
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jurcpa
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top hundert pictures,many thanks,stude cars are fantastic,rare and beautymfrom hw,shrock etc etc
top ,many thanks,I like it so much
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