First introduced in 1927, the Studebaker Dictator arrived at a time when the company's production and sales were booming.

Initially known as the “Dictator Six,” by mid-1927 it was just the Dictator.

Despite financial challenges—including the Great Depression, which put the company into receivership by early 1933—the car would be produced until 1937, with a total run of more than 350,000 Dictators.

Uncommonly seen today, the remaining Dictators represent the fine styling and solid engineering that made Studebaker an early standout in the automotive world.

The 1935 Dictators were extremely stylish and capable machines for the period.

New for 1935 was a longer, narrower grille set at a rakish slant and topped with a “bird in flight” mascot.

Completing this stylized front end was a newly designed pair of bullet-shaped headlight buckets and a swept V-shaped bumper.

The car was powered by an 88-horsepower, 205-cubic-inch, six-cylinder engine backed by a three-speed, synchromesh, manua...