And here I thought it was Crosley.....

From a historical standpoint - yes. Unfortunately they only offered them for six months (1949) because the calipers, which were designed for airplanes couldn't stand up to automotive use. Crosley went back to drums.

But I allowed for this when I said, "Front Disc Brakes (as we know them today)"

I would love to see that Snow Cruiser found. I have an magazine article on it from the 80's and since then I've wondered. Big parts of the Ross ice shelf have broken off over the years. It's probably on the bottom of the ocean now. There is some online videos of it driving. Cool piece of history.

Studebaker, while bleeding cash, was still working on innovations. My 53 Commander Hardtop is way ahead of most of the other 53's in styling. And, it has Borg Warner built auto trans (DG-200) with a lock up torque converter. How many more years before GM did a lock up converter.

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Great thread, some really funny S%$T.

About 1983, I bought a 1963 Daytona wagon R1 with the sliding roof. 4speed, all original.
Loaded with high performance parts: t i ign. dual point dist, ft & rear sway bar, dual exhaust, disc brakes, nice gauges, w/160 mph speedo, tach, chrome air cleaner, valve covers, dip stick, ext... Handled great, never felt like I was driving a station wagon. Nice bucket seats/red int. I used it like a truck. I would slide the roof, put the tailgate down, and back 2 dirt bikes in, run out to the desert passing everyone with the a/c on. Also had a blaupunkt radio with a funky reverb setup.
Bought fro an eccentric that lived at the top of the world overlooking Laguna Beach. He came to the door with a black leather vest, and two 6 shooters. Strange car, and owner.

Studebaker Innovations - First to use or Develop

1921 – Molybdenum steel and produce a car using it

1925 – Hydrostatic gas gauge and produce Hardtop body

1927 – Mechanical Fuel pump

1928 – Ball Bearing spring shackles

1929 – Rubber covered steel core steering wheel

1930 – Carburator silencer, thin steel-backed main bearings, to use free-wheeling, automatic vacuum spark control advance and helical gears in transmission (high and second).

1933 – “Heat dam” Pistons

1934 – Celeron spoke-type camshaft gear

1935 – Plane wheel suspension

1936 – Automatic Hill-Holder

1937 – Hancock rotary door latches, variable ratio steering gear, direct action shock absorbers and install double walled pickup boxes

1940 – won 1st place awards in all 3 divisions of the Gilmour economy run

1941 – First major production of curved windshield (Sedan- Coupe)

1946 – produce post-war automotive styling and use self-adjusting brakes

1948 – Truck with enclosed cab step

1950 – air-cooled torque converter, automatic transmission anti-creep device and inhibitors for “Park” in an Automatic Transmission

1951 – Polyurethane rear spring liners

1953 –To produce a low silhouette car

1954 – Self-centering and self-energizing brakes

1956 – Finned Brake Drums to minimize “Fading” and Acoustic sound deadening Headlining

1961 – Instrument panel safety padding as standard equipment on all passenger cars

1962 – US Automotive manufacturer to offer Disc Brakes on a full-sized car and install seatbelt mountings for four belt installations inevery car

1963 – Installed seatbelts in the front of every car and produce a stationwagon with a sliding roof

I actually moved a ss 2 door upright reach-in to my restaurant with that wagon. 4 speed high performance transportation, family wagon, and tripled as a pick-up. Sitting in the cockpit, was the same as the Avanti. Forward thinking.

Wow! Sold for $6.67 per square foot.