Editing Studebaker Commander (section)

===1950s===
The 1950 [[Studebaker Champion|Champion]] differed from the Commander, which had a distinctive bumper, carried over from 1949, longer front fenders and large headlight bezels, as well as a distinctive jet-style hood ornament and shared an appearance with the [[1949 Ford]] Sedan. In 1953, the polarizing appearance was updated and shares some appearance features with the [[Citroen DS]] that appeared in 1955.

In a 1953 road test done by Popular Mechanics, the Commander got a 0-60&nbsp;mph of 17.9 seconds and was rated as getting 26.1 mpg at 30&nbsp;mph.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-tsDAAAAMBAJ|title=Popular Mechanics|first=Hearst|last=Magazines|date=1 September 1953|publisher=Hearst Magazines|via=Google Books}}</ref>

No convertible was offered in 1953. However, in late 1952 Studebaker produced one prototype of a 1953 Commander convertible to determine if the model could be profitably mass-produced. The car was based on the 1953 2-door Starliner hardtop. The car was later modified to 1954-model specifications, and was occasionally driven around South Bend by engineers. Additional structural reinforcements were needed to reduce body flexure. Even though the car was equipped with the 232 cu. in. V-8, the added structural weight increased the car's 0-60 mph acceleration time to an unacceptable level. In addition, the company did not have the financial resources to add another body type to the model line. 

The company's leadership mistakenly thought the 2-door sedans, 4-door sedans, and 1954 [[Studebaker Conestoga|Conestoga wagon]] would sell better than the 2-door coupes, so the company's resources were focused on production of the sedans and the wagon. When the prototype convertible was no longer needed, engineer E. T. Reynolds ordered the car to be stripped and the body sent to the secret graveyard at the company's proving grounds west of South Bend. A non-engineering employee requested permission to purchase the complete car, rather than see it rot away at the proving grounds with other, earlier prototypes of other cars and trucks. Chief engineer Gene Hardig discussed the request with E. T. Reynolds. They agreed to let the employee purchase the car on the condition that the employee never sell it. In the 1970s, the car was re-discovered behind a South Bend gas station and no longer owned by the former employee. After eventually passing through several owners, the car is now in a private collection of Studebaker automobiles.

In 1955, Studebaker reintroduced the President name for its premium models and 'Commander' was applied to the mid-range products. The Commander line was extended with the introduction of a lower-priced Custom sub-series, being basically a Champion with a V8 engine. Studebaker placed the name on hiatus at the end of the 1958 model year.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="150px">
File:Studebaker National Museum May 2014 074 (1950 Studebaker Commander Starlight Coupe).jpg|1950 Studebaker Commander Starlight Coupe
File:1951 Studebaker Commander (31154596974).jpg|1951 Studebaker Commander State 4-Door Sedan
File:1952StudebakerCommanderState.jpg|1952 Studebaker Commander State Convertible
File:1953 Studebaker Commander (39867874635).jpg|1953 Studebaker Commander V-8 Regal 4-Door Sedan
File:1954 Studebaker Commander Coupe (7606469736).jpg|1954 Studebaker Commander V8 Deluxe Starlight Coupe
File:1955 Studebaker Commander Regal (26758535584).jpg|1955 Studebaker Commander V-8 Regal 4-door sedan
File:1956 Studebaker Commander (5587426006).jpg|1956 Studebaker Commander 4-Door Sedan
</gallery>

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