1940 Commander 10A

Often the 1940 Commander’s are seen as, just a 1939 with Seal Beam headlights.  Actually Studebaker has quite a few changes for 1940 as listed below:

  • New headlights (sealed Beam design)

  • Total glass was increased by 241 square inches, including the windshields

  • Rear quarter windows, slide instead of swinging out

  • Door hinges, except the front lower ones are hidden

  • New gas tank filler door, hides the gas cap and filler tube

  • Safety glass in all windows

  • Inside hood release

  • Rear seating room expanded

  • Door handles faired into the side trim

  • Grille changed from vertical bars to mesh

  • New brushed stainless panels for interior door handles and window regulators, and recessed portions of the instrument panel.

  • Wider rear tread, 6.25 x 16 tires.

  • New shockless steering &  longer steering Knuckle arms.

  • Rubber mounted rear spring shackles

  • New transmission design (on the side 1938-39 discontinued)

Models for 1940 Commander’s are, four-door Cruising Sedan, two-door Club Sedan, and a Coupe in Regular and DeLuxe trim.  DeLuxe models had upgraded trim and extra items like duel horns.  Regular Commander’s came with wool cloth upholstery.  Leather upholstery was an extra cost option offered in several colors.  Many of the Commander paint colors came with a complementary accent color around the side windows.

 

However, the big news for 1940 was Studebaker’s April 1940 release of an all new trim series called the Delux-tone.  These models featured colorful two-tone interiors, standard whitewall tires, Burnt Orange or Maroon wheels, deluxe steering wheels, tenite gear shift knobs, and five different two-tone exterior paint combinations or four solid colors, all for $40 dollars more then regulator models.

The two-toned upholstery used in these models was either two colors of broadcloth or on green models, light green broadcloth and dark green leather.  The following is a listing of colors available on Commander’s and Presidents.

Regular Models Exterior Colors

Body Color

Window Reveal Accent Color

Colleen Green Light Metallic

Colleen Green Dark Metallic

Birchleaf Light Metallic

Birchleaf Dark Metallic

Clipper Grey Light Metallic

Clipper Grey Dark Metallic

Santa Anita Beigh Light Metallic

Santa Anita Beigh Dark Metallic

Riviera Blue Metallic

Riviera Blue Grey Metallic

Riviera Blue Metallic

Riviera Blue Metallic

Velvet Black

Velvet Black

California Grapetone Maroon

California Grapetone Maroon

Beverly Blue (1)

Beverly Blue

Studebaker Cream (2)

Studebaker Cream

Delux-Tone Models Exterior Colors

Lower Color

Upper Color

Riviera Blue Metallic (M)

Riviera Blue Grey Metallic

Clipper Grey Dark Metallic (O)

Clipper Grey Light Metallic

Paddock Green Dark (M)

Paddock Green Light

Birchleaf Dark Metallic (O)

Birchleaf Light Metallic

Santa Anita Beigh Dark Metallic (O)

Santa Anita Beigh Light Metallic

Velvet Black

Velvet Black

Tulip Cream

Tulip Cream

California Grapetone Maroon

California Grapetone Maroon

Ruby Red

Ruby Red

(1) Not available LA Plant, (2) Only available LA Plant, (M) Maroon wheels, (O) Burnt Orange wheels. Painted with 12 coats of lacquer.

Upholstery Materials

Regular Models, wool cloth, optional extra cost colored leather.

Delux-Tone

Blue & Grey broadcloth

Riviera Blue, Clipper Grey, and Velvet Black

Light Green broadcloth & dark Green Leather

Paddock Green, Birchleaf

Brown & beige broadcloth

Santa Anita Beige, Tulip Cream, California Grapetone Maroon, Ruby Red

Seat upholstery was pleated on Delux-tone Commander’s
Tell’s for 1940:
  • Seal beam headlights
  • New mesh grille
  • A single chrome strip under the hood
  • Concealed hinges on all doors

 

Mechanical:
  • The Commander’s continue with the 90 HP 116.2 cubic inches Six
  • Wheel base is 116 ½ inches
  • Hill-Holder is standard equipment
When data was available from Turning Wheels (TW) or Studebaker the Complete Story (STCS) it is used.  Else, The Classic Car Database (TCCD) & The Standard Catalog of American Cars (SCAC) is used.
→Information found between the arrows is from Turning Wheel feature articles written by Fred Fox←
What we can be fairly sure of is that the same body styles, depending on the source, were sometimes listed in different terms.
SB= South Bend, LA= Los Angles, and CAN= Canada
 
1940 Model 10A Commander
Model Doors Passenger Price
Regular four-door Cruising Sedan (W3) 4 6 $965.00
Delux-tone four-door Cruising Sedan (W5) 4 6 $1,005.00
DeLuxe four-door Cruising Sedan (W7) * 4 6 $965.00
Regular four-door Club Sedan (F3) 2 6 $925.00
Delux-tone four-door Club Sedan (F5) 2 6 $965.00
DeLuxe four-door Club Sedan (F7) * 2 6 $925.00
Regular Coupe (Q1) 2 3 $895.00
Delux-tone Coupe (Q5) 2 3 $935.00
DeLuxe Coupe (Q7) +++ 2 3 $895.00
* The DeLuxe line was actually the Regular line with DeLuxe trim and equipment.  There was most likely no standard pricing, so the $965, $925, & $895 numbers are just the base price.
Fox did not mention the production start or end dates for the 10A Commander.  However, SCAC indicated production started in September of 1939 and ended in June of 1940.
→Studebaker assigned 33,300 SB serial numbers and 4,300 LA serial numbers to the Model 10A.  Fox reported actual production at 33,247 for SB and 4,255 for LA, close to the number of serial numbers assigned.  Engine Serial Numbers are reported at H-87,601 to H-122,200.  For more complete information see TW Aug. 1987←
Neither TCCD or SCAC mention the DeLuxe models, but do recognize all three body styles in the Regular and Delux-tone lines.  They both reported total Commander production at 34,477 as Fox mentioned as “Another Source”.