With a one year-old but still radical departure in exterior design, Studebaker described its 1948 models as “a new kind of motoring.”

Commander Deluxe Regal Coupe 

Here’s a question for the day. What are the differences between a 1947 and 1948  Studebaker? Almost none, actually. The changes are barely worth talking about—new front and rear bumper guards, a revised grille, a few pieces of bright metal trim moved around. The same would hold true in the following year, 1949. If you can correctly distinguish the three model years, you can call yourself a Studebaker expert.

But then the executives in South Bend could feel entitled to coast a little, for Studebaker was the first among the established automakers to introduce a new car after the end of World War II. With a product launch at the Waldorf Astoria in New York in April of 1946 that featured a radical new exterior design, Studebaker was “first by far with a postwar car,” the ads declared. (See our feature here.) And at the time, Ford, General Motors, and the Chrysler Corporation were churning out barely warmed-over 1942 models.

The real changes at Studebaker for 1948 were behind the scenes, in the plants and offices. In April, longtime Studebaker president Paul G. Hoffman stepped down to join the Truman administration, replaced by Harold S. Vance, a 38-year veteran at the automaker. Meanwhile, the parts, materials, and labor shortages of 1946-47 were clearing up, allowing the factories to increase production. Volume rose to almost 185,000 cars for the model year, a 15 percent increase. Studebaker’s net income for the year doubled to almost $14 million.

Easily the most controversial feature of the ’47-’49 Studebakers was the wraparound “pilothouse” rear window on the five-passenger coupe (above). Critics called it the “coming or going car,” claiming onlookers couldn’t tell if the car was approaching or departing. But actually, buyers embraced the new look, as the coupe outsold the the more conventionally styled two-door sedan by a clear margin. In 1949, Studebaker adopted the name Starlight for the distinctive coupe, which the public soon applied to the ’47 and ’48 years as well.

Commander Land Cruiser 

However, the biggest seller in the ’48 lineup was the four-door sedan, available in base Champion, long-wheelbase premium Commander, and fully-equipped Commander Land Cruiser trim. A handful of U.S. car brands were still offering front-opening (“suicide”) rear doors on its sedans, and Studebaker was one.

As the ad writers declared “a new kind of motoring,” Studebaker in 1948 enjoyed its best year since the late 1920s, propelled by the year-old but still fresh styling and, let’s be honest, the historic tailwind provided by the postwar seller’s market. The 1949 model year would be more of the same. One year later, the automaker embraced the unorthodox once again with the 1950 Aero Nose Studebakers, “the next look in cars,” and you can learn about them here.