Chassis No.

8343596French classic car registration certificateVehicle sold without a roadworthiness test“Ex-London to London – think *Around the World in 80 Days*!” A true mainstay of American car manufacturing, Studebaker remains, however, relatively unknown in Europe.

One of its flagship models, which has been in production since the late 1920s, is the Commander.

After the war, the Commander first adopted the ‘pontoon’ style and the now legendary ‘shell-shaped’ bonnet, before undergoing a redesign in 1953 to feature a lower, more flowing silhouette – well ahead of its time! The example featured in these pages is unique in terms of its history, as in 2000 it took part, with its previous owner, in the ‘London to London’ – a round-the-world road trip completed in just 80 days.

This well-known collector on the historic motorsport scene sourced the car directly from Chicago, before bringing it back to France and giving it a complete restoration. Nothing was left to chance: a 150-litre...