1939 President Model 5C – Rock River Valley Chapter SDC

In this model year, the famous Raymond Lowery is hired to do a “facelift” of the 1938 models. He again turns to the front of the car eliminating the center radiator grill and placing two separated die-cast grills, well out on the fender aprons. The headlights are recessed into the front fenders with oval lenses. The new optional “Climatizer” is installed under the drivers seat, the former location of the battery, which is moved under the hood. The gear shift can now be optionally mounted to the steering column. The over-drive option is again modified and a new transmission design is installed.

There is no evidence that the Convertible Sedan was actually put into production for 1939. Cannon lists it as well as both TCCD and STAC. It is thought that the one shown above was actually a Commander proto type and a PR photo.

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 between the arrows is from “This is a Studebaker Year – Vol. 3 W.A. Cannon← 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

Body Style	Body Code	Doors	Pass	Price TCCD/SACA
As we have not access to a Fox Feature Article for 1939 Presidents, the price information comes from TTCD & SCAC
2dr State Club Sedan (F3?)	F2	2	6	unknown
	F3	2	6	$1,100.00
	F6	2	6	unknown
4dr State Cruising Sedan (W3?)	W2	4	6	unknown
	W3	4	6	$1,110.00
	W6	4	6	unknown
2-pass Coupe	Q1	2	2	unknown
3-pass State Coupe	Q2	2	3	$1,035.00
6-pass Convertible Sedan	S2	2	6	unknown
6-pass State Convertible Sedan	S3	2	6	$1,460.00
→The 1939 5C Series President started production in August 1938. It finished production in August of 1939. Studebaker assigned 7,600 SB serial numbers and 800 LA serial numbers to the 5C series. Engine Serial Numbers, B-30,201 to B-38,500. Most of the data in the chart is from “This is a Studebaker Year – Vol. 3”.← 5C series serial numbers would suggest production of 8,400 cars. Both TCCD & SCAC reported 8,205. The prices for series 5C cars come from TCCD & SCAC were both agreed. While Cannon lists three Club Sedans, three Cruising Sedans, two Convertible Sedans, and two Coupes, both TCCD and SCAC only listed one Club, one Cruising, one Convertible, and one Coupe, all in State trim. As we do not know the exact differences in the Body Codes for each body type we have placed the pricing in the middle for the sedans and at the bottom for the coupe and convertible.