Studebaker Special

Studebaker Special

The 1932 Studebaker Special on display.
Category	Indianapolis 500 / AAA Championship Car
Constructor	Studebaker / Herman Rigling
Designer	Albert Russel Erskine
Successor	1933 Studebaker Streamliner
Technical specifications
Chassis	Rigling custom steel ladder frame
Suspension (front)	Rigling custom split-axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs
Suspension (rear)	Stock Studebaker rigid axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs
Engine	Studebaker President Straight-8 336.7 cubic inches (5,518 cc) Naturally aspirated straight-8
Transmission	Stock Studebaker 3-speed manual Stock Studebaker
Power	200 hp (149 kW) @ 4,000 RPM
Weight	2,300 lb (1,043 kg)
Fuel	Gasoline
Tyres	Firestone bias-ply racing tires
Competition history
Notable entrants	Studebaker Corporation Factory Team
Notable drivers	Cliff Bergere Zeke Meyer Peter Kreis Luther Johnson Tony Gulotta
Debut	1932 Indianapolis 500
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 1 (as 1932 specification) 0 1 (3rd place, Cliff Bergere) 0 0

The Studebaker Special (also known as Studebaker Indy Car) was a series of factory-backed open-wheel racing cars developed by the Studebaker Corporation for competition in the Indianapolis 500 during the early 1930s. Built to exploit the American Automobile Association's (AAA) "Junk Formula", which incentivized stock production-based entries over expensive, purpose-built pure racing machinery, the five-car team fielded for the 1932 race represented an unprecedented engineering effort by a major American passenger car manufacturer. By using roughly 85% stock mechanical components derived from the Studebaker President road car, the 1932 Studebaker Special program successfully demonstrated that mass-produced automotive engineering could endure the punishing stresses of top-tier professional motor racing. The team achieved remarkable structural success at the 1932 Indianapolis 500, with all five entries qualifying and the lead car clinching a third-place finish.

Background and the "junk formula"

Following the 1929 racing season, AAA Contest Board officials, led by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker, instituted sweeping regulatory changes designed to revitalize the sport amid the onset of the Great Depression. During the 1920s, the field had become dominated by highly specialized, incredibly expensive, single-seat racing cars most notably powered by supercharged 91-cubic-inch (1.5-liter) Miller and Duesenberg engines. While technologically advanced, these machines bore no mechanical relevance to consumer automobiles, and escalating costs threatened to deplete starting grids. The new rules, colloquially termed the "Junk Formula", banned superchargers on four-stroke engines, mandated a two-person cockpit (requiring a riding mechanic), raised the minimum car weight to 1,750 pounds (790 kg), and increased maximum engine displacement to 366 cubic inches (6.0 liters). Recognizing an opportunity to market the ruggedness of its commercial products, Studebaker's management authorized a factory racing program directed by chief engineer Albert Russel Erskine. After backing semi-privateer entries in 1930 and 1931, Studebaker commissioned a dedicated, company-financed, five-car team for the 1932 event.

Design and technical specifications

The 1932 Studebaker Specials were engineered to prioritize mechanical durability and parts commonality over outright top speed. Rather than constructing the cars entirely in-house, Studebaker contracted famed race car builder Herman Rigling of Indianapolis to fabricate the chassis frames and bodywork.

1932 Indianapolis 500

The 1932 running of the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held on Monday, May 30. The Studebaker factory team strategy focused on maintaining a steady, calculated pace, relying on the assumption that specialized racers would suffer catastrophic mechanical failures under the grueling 500-mile distance. All five factory entries successfully qualified for the 40-car starting grid. While the cars proved mechanically bulletproof, their sheer weight and high torque inflicted severe punishment on contemporary bias-ply racing tires, forcing frequent, un-scheduled pit stops for replacements.

Car No.	Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Average Speed	Race Status	Notes
22	Cliff Bergere	10	3	111.50 mph (179.44 km/h)	Completed 200 laps	Highest finishing factory Studebaker; completed entire distance without mechanical adjustments.
37	Zeke Meyer	38	6	110.74 mph (178.22 km/h)	Completed 200 laps	Advanced 32 positions from the rear of the grid.
18	Peter Kreis	17	12	110.27 mph (177.46 km/h)	Completed 200 laps	Ran 7th at 450 miles before a late tire blowout delayed progress.
46	Luther Johnson	11	15	111.21 mph (178.98 km/h)	Completed 200 laps	Delayed significantly by frequent wheel and tire changes.
25	Tony Gulotta	20	16	108.89 mph (175.24 km/h)	Completed 200 laps	Completed all 200 laps; later rebuilt with streamlined bodywork for 1933.

The race was won by Fred Frame driving a Hartz-Miller racer. However, Studebaker dominated the narrative regarding reliability, becoming the first manufacturer in Indianapolis history to have a five-car factory team qualify, complete the race, and see all five vehicles place within the top sixteen finishers. The lead car, driven by Cliff Bergere, completed the entire 500 miles without a single mechanical adjustment, stopping only for fuel, oil, and fresh rubber.

Legacy and surviving examples

The success of the 1932 campaign prompted Studebaker to return in 1933 with more aerodynamic, wind-tunnel-tested bodies and specialized racing blocks, sweeping the 6th through 12th positions. However, the deepening fiscal crisis of the Great Depression forced Studebaker into receivership in mid-1933, resulting in the immediate cancellation of the factory racing division. The 1932 Specials left a lasting engineering legacy, proving to the global automotive industry that standard production-line components could withstand sustained operational limits exceeding 140 miles per hour (230 km/h). Of the five original 1932 factory cars, only a small handful survive today:

• The #22 Car: The third-place finisher driven by Cliff Bergere is preserved in the permanent collection of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
• The #18 Car: Driven by Peter Kreis, this car remains operational in private ownership and frequently appears at global vintage motorsport gatherings, such as the Monterey Historics.
• The #25 Car: Reconfigured with a streamlined body for the 1933 race (renumbered #34), this vehicle was permanently acquired by the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, in 2023.

Notes

• 1. The AAA Contest Board implemented these weight and displacement rules explicitly to curb the dominance of high-cost single-seat racing components.
• 2. The riding mechanic was responsible for tracking flag positions, checking rear traffic, and manually pumping fuel pressure during operation.

References

Bibliography

• Betts, Charles L. (1972). Indianapolis Racing Cars of the Junk Formula Era: 1930–1937. Boston: Motorsport Publications.
• Cannon, William A.; Fox, Fred K. (1981). Studebaker: The Complete Story. Minneapolis: Crestline Publishing. ISBN 978-0912612195.
• Popely, Rick; Riggs, L. Spencer (1998). The Indianapolis 500: An Illustrated History. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1572432611.