by Grandson Frederick Walton, Family Historian
The story of the Packhiser's 1932 Honeymoon Drive from Coast to Coast
Ninety years ago, in 1932, my Grandparents got married and traveled across the country on their Honeymoon. They left a scrapbook of their trip which I recently discovered. I am attempting to document their odyssey, uniting old family photos and stories by exploring their treasured mementos from this epic trip. Join me on my journey of discovery....
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Erwin Packhiser and his new Automobile with his new Wife in the backseat and his sister in front.
I'm guessing that best man, Enrico Caruso, Jr., was driving the newlyweds and taking the photo |
This photo of my grandfather with his car has always intrigued me. He is departing for his honeymoon, a cross country trip from Middletown, New York to Los Angeles, California in 1932. The pride and happiness of this nattily dressed young man is evident. He is beaming with joy. Is he proud of the fact that he just got married and is leaving for his honeymoon or is it simply the pride of ownership of this brand new, shiny automobile?
He is accompanied by his sister, Helen Packhiser and her fiancé Enrico Caruso, Jr., who was also Erwin's close friend and best man. Based on the position of Helen in the front seat, I'm guessing that Ric was driving while the newlyweds relaxed in the roomy back seat.
Remember, 1932 is at the height of the great depression. Although the first two decades of the 20th century saw a rise in automobile manufacture and private ownership, the great depression slowed that down conciderably. As owner of the well established “Packhiser’s Cleaners and Dyers”, a service business that people would continue to use throughout the depression, Erwin was well poised to buy a new automobile in a time when many people were struggling to put food on the table. Not only did he buy a new automobile, but he bought what appears to be a luxury automobile as evident from the photograph.
Look at the tires- heavy new treads indicate either new tires or a new car. Look at the shiny chrome bumper, hosting not even a speck of mud. The chrome horns, trim and polished hood are reflecting a bright sunny day. What a great way to start a trip! Notice the trailer. What is piled high under the tarp? Suitcases, obviously, but there is more, at least according to the big lump. What did they take? Furniture, tools, wardrobe trunks? I remember several of these old fashioned trunks in their attic when I was a kid. Trunks as tall as 6 year old me, with hangers and drawers inside, almost big enough for a little kid to make into a cozy hideout!
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| Wardrobe trunk similar to the ones my grandparents had in the attic |
What brand of automobile was this? Some of the more obvious clues, like the hood ornament or radiator badges were too hard to see clearly. I spent years showing this picture to car enthusiasts without really pinning it down. I compared photographs in books and on-line, of cars from the late 20s and early 30s to find models that look similar. At first glance they all look similar. One by one, model types and years were eliminated because of certain body styles or details like bumpers, wheels, headlights and doors. This wasn’t the common Ford or the more expensive Chevy or Cadillac. American cars in the late 1920s and early 1930s featured a host of names that have long been forgotten. Hudson, Duesenberg, Nash, REO, Packard, Hupmobile and hundreds of others you probably never heard of. [1] After many hours spent searching old car photos finally I narrowed it down to several possible models including Pierce-Arrow and Studebaker.
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| 1932 Studebaker Flying Eagle hood Ornament |
Knowing the date of the photo was 1932, I started restricting my search to a time period between 1928 and 1932. Little by little I was able to zero in on certain features. For example, the single piece chrome bumper, the louvers along the side of the engine compartment, the very wide door and window, the tires and wheel spokes.
I finally determined the closest match was probably a 1932 Studebaker. As luck would have it, after years of searching, In 2022 I came across Erwin’s journal where, in his own handwriting, he refers to the car as “the Studebaker”. I’m glad we agree!
Looking at photos of the many variations of Studebakers on-line, I narrowed down the date range to either a 1931 or 1932:
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1930 Studebaker- Close but No Cigar
Notice two piece bumper, wire wheels, different grill and hood ornament |
- The 1929 and 1930 model had a 2 piece bumper. Erwins car has a single piece bumper.
- The 1931 Model has Wire Wheels vs the more common solid spoke pattern on the 1932 Model.
- Earlier Cars not as Aerodynamic.
Could Erwin have bought a brand new 1932 Studebaker? In 1932? At the height of the great depression? Wow…that’s pretty remarkable!
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| 1932 Studebaker illustration from sales brochure |
Studebaker offered several body styles and models for the year 1932 including :
- Six (Model 55) Wheelbase 117”
- Dictator Eight (Model 62) Wheelbase 117” <== Erwin’s Choice
- Commander Eight (Model 71) Wheelbase 125”
- President Eight (Model 91) Wheelbase 135”
Which one did Erwin Packhiser choose? Based on the photo, the car he drove Coast to Coast was a most likely a Studebaker Dictator St. Regis Brougham, 2 door, hardtop sedan. The wheel base was 117”, shorter than the “President” at 122” and evident in photos when you look closely for the five inch difference. The St. Regis Brougham package was available in all four 1932 Models. The particular model the body is mounted on is easy to determine by the distance on the lower quarters between the door opening and the rear fender. The Dictator Eight on the 117 inch wheelbase has the door bottom corner sightly cut to fit the fender curvature. Look closely and you’ll see it. Look at photos of the longer wheelbase President model and it become fairly obvious. [2]
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Comparing the President to the Dictator
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Studebaker offered the Dictator, the company's lowest-priced eight-cylinder car, in no fewer than five different body styles, including a roadster, coupe, 2 door sedan and large 4 door sedan as a hardtop or convertible. if you were looking for something sporty as well as luxurious, there was the Regal Sport option which included chrome wheels, a pair of side-mounted spares (and the fenders to accommodate them), a rear luggage rack, a chromed radiator mascot and a pair of chrome salon horns mounted under the oval headlamps. Erwin’s Studebaker, as pictured. has these more expensive options.
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Erwin's car had all the "bells and whistles"
or at least the chrome horns and headlights of the Regal Sports option. |
Studebaker built approximately 6,000 Dictators of all chassis types in 1932, a year that marked some subtle changes to the model which can be picked out in the various photos of Erwin’s Automobile.
In an evolutionary nod to the first implementations of aerodynamics, the windshields on the 1932 models were very slightly canted back. Designers also rounded off the corners of the body. Early Dictators had a V-shaped bumper which was later changed to a bow-shape. Studebaker advertised that these improvements allowed for top speeds of as much as three miles per hour faster than previous models. Other body changes included wider front doors that helped add additional legroom while making it easier to enter and exit the cabin. Wider and deeper front seats surely also contributed to a more comfortable interior.
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| 1932 Studebaker brochure showing some its many improved features |
Special features for 1932 included a Startex automatic starting system, full automatic spark control, freewheeling in all forward speeds combined with synchronized shifting, full cushioned power seats, and safety glass in all windows. The Dictator series 2A was outfitted with hydraulic brakes and a Planar independent front suspension. A 'Hill Holder' firmly held the vehicle in place while parked on a steep grade.
The Dictator Eight shared its 117-inch wheelbase with the entry-level Six, but instead of a straight-six engine, it used a 221-cu.in straight-eight. Its 85 horsepower represented a 5 horsepower increase over the slightly larger six-cylinder, while both engines were L-head formats. [3]
Whats in a name?
The Studebaker Brothers of South Bend, Indiana first produced horse drawn carriages during the second Half of the 19th century before becoming automobile manufacturers known for innovation, speed and style.
Erwin bought a 1932 Studebaker Dictator St. Regis Brougham, let’s explore what this name means.
Dictator: The Studebaker Dictator was produced from 1927 through 1937 with 1928 being the first full year of the Dictator production. The Dictator was designed as a replacement for the Standard Six. This new model amplified the reputation of the Studebaker Company by breaking 28 distance and time records during the end of the 1920s.
The name Dictator was used because Studebaker boasted that it 'dictated the standard' and was conceived as a model line that other marques would imitate. In reality, the name Dictator was probably not a good choice. It made exportation to certain European monarchies difficult and Studebaker switched the name to the Standard Six when exporting. On the home front, many people viewed the name in political terms and felt it was rather negative and offensive. With Hitler and Mussolini gathering power in Europe, 'Dictator' became politically incorrect and so the name was dropped in 1937. [4]
St. Regis- Named after an exclusive N. Y. Hotel Located on fifth Avenue in N. Y. City, the name was meant to conjure up the image of prestige, privilege and luxury. [5]
Brougham- Originally a car body style where the driver sat outside and passengers seated within an enclosed cabin, as per the earlier brougham horse-drawn carriage of the 19th Century. Similar in style to the later town car, the brougham style was used on chauffeur-driven automobiles.
In later years, several manufacturers used the term brougham as a model name or trim level on cars even though he driver is in the cabin with the passengers. [6]
The 5 passenger 1932 Studebaker St. Regis Brougham, especially the smaller wheelbase Dictator was more likely to use the name to convey luxury rather than intend for your chauffeur to drive.
Where did he buy it?
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Ad found in 1931 Middletown, N. Y. City Directory
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I have no documentation to support where Erwin made his purchase, but being a savvy businessman in a small town, it is likely he bought it from the local Middletown, N. Y. Studebaker dealer. I found a Studebaker Dealer in Middletown, in the 1931 Middletown City directory. The Nicholson-Sams, Inc Studebaker distributor was located at 151-153 North Street at the intersection of Wickham Ave and North Street. Packhiser’s Cleaners and Dyers was a short two blocks away.
Perhaps they were customers of Packhiser’s Cleaners, or Erwin knew the dealer socially, through church or the Mason’s. Studebaker had a fairly aggressive advertising campaign in newspapers and magazines as an affordable luxury car, with leading technical advances and proven durability and performance, so Erwin may have simply been swayed by the advertising.
An ad in the Middletown paper in September 1931 boasted ”37 famous hill-climb records broken by one free wheeling Studebaker” providing details and summarizing with the claim “Proof Piles Upon Proof that in a Studebaker you get the best performing car in America.”
Another ad in February 1932 asks “Why Wait for other cars to follow Studebaker? To get the major advances…in advance…get the triumphant new Studebaker” followed by a long list of Studebaker refinement for 1932. [7]
What did a Studebaker Cost in 1932?
The base price for the 1932 Studebaker Dictator Eight St. Regis Brougham was $1030. Just like today they charged extra for the extra’s for example:
- Regal equipment package ($105): two spare wheels mounted in front fenders, salon horns, luggage rack and chrome-plated artillery wheels;
- white wall tires, $13
- painted side mount covers, $20.50
- chrome beauty rings, $12
- bumpers, $25
- Philco Model 7 Transitone radio, $74.50
- interior clock mirror, $3.50
- right-side taillamp, $8
- destination and delivery, $225.50
From the various photos, I know that Erwin’s Studebaker had many of these extras. Did he include the fairly expensive radio option? Or Clock mirror? We don’t have interior pictures so we can’t know for sure, but I would be surprised if Erwin, the singer, skipped the radio. [8]
When you total everything up, he paid in the neighborhood of $1500.00 for his auto in 1932. When adjusted for inflation, that comes to about $32,000 today. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index. A dollar today only buys 4.687% of what it could buy in1932. [9] Of course cars in 1932 didn't have all the safety equipment and computer control modern cars have, so imagine what that adds to your bottom line when buying your next new car. However you do the math, the 1932 Studebaker Dictator Eight St. Regis Brougham was an upmarket car, perhaps not the most expensive on the market but certainly not the cheapest.
In the spring of 1932 Ford’s advertising campaign boasted “a great new car at an unusually low price”. They introduced a low price V-8 engine in a sedan for around $500. Chevrolet offered their 1932 6 Cylinder sedan for between $500-$600 depending on the option. Both brands were affordable, and somewhat reliable, but perhaps a little ordinary. The Studebaker stood out as stylish, reliable and even technologically advanced, making it a bold choice if you had the moolah. [10]
According to multiple sources on the internet, the average wage in 1932 was about $1,500. This is what the Studebaker cost, and was within $500 of what a small house might cost. The first Federal Minimum Wage was enacted in 1938 at $0.25 per hour (around $500-$600 annually) . While I don’t know Erwin’s income in 1932, his 1940 U. S. Federal census shows a presser at his business earning $1,200. Erwin, as the owner of the business listed his wages as 0. I would guess that his 1932 income would be around the average American Wage. A table published in 1940 by the U. S. Department of Labor shows the average salary for a dry cleaner to be about $20 per week which come to about $1,000 per year. [11]
My Grandfather was known to be “thrifty”, a trait my wife tells me I have inherited. He demanded value for his money and must have felt this car could provide that. He put the Studebaker to the test driving from N. Y. To California and back over roads and highways that were sometimes no better than muddy dirt farm lanes. While out west he took side trips to the mountains where he hunted, fished and panned for gold. They took trips into the dessert to visit Indian reservations. They got stuck in the mud and stuck in the sand. They climbed from sea level to high mountain elevations. The Studebaker never let them down and was used for many years upon their return to Middletown. My Mother recalls playing in the car when she was 3 or 4 years old when she accidentally started it, driving it through the back wall of the garage, but thats another story. That car served Erwin well for many years and was undoubtably worth the price.
Although I never “met” this car in person, I feel like I have come to know it well from the few photos they left behind. Even with the few photos we have today, you can tell this car was an important part of the Packhiser’s early life.
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| Baby Jeanne Packhiser playing on Studebaker at North Street in Middletown, N. Y. circa 1936 |
Next Stop: Day Three- Driving to Tennessee or Kentucky?
https://packhisers.blogspot.com/2022/09/day-3-sunday-8-may-1932-tennessee-or.html
Notes:
1- Discontinued Auto Manufacturers; Wikipedia; Accessed 7 July, 2022;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_automobile_manufacturers_of_the_United_States
2- Chat room hint on how to distinquish Dictators from Presidents; Accessed 7 July, 2022;
https://forums.aaca.org/topic/350683-for-sale-1932-studebaker-dictator-eight-st-regis-brougham-10000-fayetteville-ar-project-not-mine/.
3- I’m not really a car guy and obviously didn’t write these technical details without the help of multiple websites including: Description;https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/sovereign-studebaker-1932-studebaker-dictator-coupe;
Source:https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10522/studebaker-dictator.aspx;
http://www.blacksunlight.com/studebaker/years/1932.html (accessed 3/18/2022)
4- Dictator description- https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/sovereign-studebaker-1932-studebaker-dictator-coupe
5- St. Regis- See 12/11/2011 Post in Source: https://forums.aaca.org/topic/174916-1932-studebaker-president-st-regis-brougham/ ; viewed 3/17/2022
6- Brougham definition Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brougham_(car_body); viewed 3/17/2022
7- Numerous car ads can be found on newspaper.com by searching for Studebaker 1931-1932
8- Studebaker costs for the card featured in this article are similar to the Car owned by my Grandfather- .https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/sovereign-studebaker-1932-studebaker-dictator-coupe
9- Value of $1,500 from 1932 to 2022; https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1932?amount=1500
10- old car prices and statistics nicely laid our for many different makes and models: https://www.conceptcarz.com
11- 1940 U. S. Department of Labor Study- https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/he_bls_1942.pdf
