Studebaker National Museum

Experience over 100 years of automotive history at the Studebaker National Museum, from the Studebaker family’s c. 1835 Conestoga Wagon to the last car to roll off the Studebaker assembly line in March 1966. South Bend’s world-famous Studebaker Corporation was the only automotive company to span the time from settlers’ wagons to high performance automobiles.

Exhibits

Charged: The Rise, Fall, and Resurgence of Electric Vehicles
Discover the origins and explore the future of electric vehicles in this special exhibition. Over a century of electric automobiles will be on display to trace the winding path of EVs from the 19th to the 21st century. Featured vehicles include a 1901 Riker Torpedo race car, a 1992 GM EV1 Impact Electric, as well as examples of Studebaker passenger and commercial electrics.

1901 Riker Torpedo Race Car (Loan from The Henry Ford)
1911 Studebaker Electric Coupe (Studebaker National Museum Collection)
1918 Milburn Model 27 (Loan from The History Museum)
1959 Henney Kilowatt (Loan from Lane Motor Museum)
1975 Sebring-Vanguard Citicar (Loan from private owner)
1990 GM EV1 Impact Electric Concept (Loan from GM Heritage Center)
2008 Tesla Roadster (Loan from private owner)
2022 ELMS Urban Delivery Vehicle (Loan from Electric Last Mile Solutions)

The Avanti: America’s Most Advanced Automobile
The Studebaker Avanti was one of the industry’s most imaginative and sensational vehicles. For the Avanti’s 60th birthday, the Museum will explore the Avanti’s improbable origin story and its place in the 1963 automotive landscape. The exhibit will look at contemporary reviews and road tests as well as promotional materials and media. Additionally, the exhibition will discuss how the Avanti was produced — its most popular colors, options, and accessories plus unique and unusual examples.

Participation in Museum Day is open to any tax-exempt or governmental museum or cultural venue on a voluntary basis. Smithsonian magazine encourages museum visitation, but is not responsible for and does not endorse the content of the participating museums and cultural venues, and does not subsidize museums that participate.