39f Studebaker State Commander (1939-50)

Dear Jan,If you could measure accurately the width of the longer moulding, you would probably find that it is at a much larger scale than the car. When making a mould, there are things which can not be made very small. The longer moulding probably does not leave enough space for the two short ones. A good example is the front grille of the Buick Roadmaster which has 19 vertical members when the actual car had 25. The same applies to the Peugeot 203 which has six horizontal lines when the actual car has seven. There must be other examples.

Whilst I like the 39 series cars - the Lincoln is my favourite - I have always felt that something was not quite right with the Studebaker. I'm sure some will think it wrong but, at some point, I want to modify the window apertures of poor example and see if I can get the result to look more like the prototype. I have yet to select a victim so let me know if you have a battered State Commander that you're willing to sacrifice.

Jacques and John. Many thanks for your contribution. A comparison of the photos below clearly shows that Meccano Liverpool did not succeed in recreating the curved curves of the fenders to the bonnet and the curved connections from the fenders to the bonnet. The lines of the bonnet of the Dinky Toys model are also too deep compared to the prototype. Given the chrome molding of the hood of the prototype, the lid of the hood is not as deep as the DT model shows. As a result, the proportions are no longer correct and there is therefore no room for the 2 short chrome moldings on the sides of the bonnet. This can be clearly seen by studying the attached photos. Jan Oldenhuis, 15 January 2023

A couple of photos are much better than a long text. Thank you Jan.I think that also the side windows of the Dinky are too high. This is prety obvious on the photos of your post # 12 above.

I think that the wings on the Dinky are too high.

And that is the essential problem: basically the wing is not very much too high, it is too straightly extended towards the bonnet. The die did not allow for the recess to be realized downwards from the highest outer part of the wing to the lower side of the bonnet, which is the cause of no space being left to represent the chromium strips over there in my opinion! Kind regards, Jan W

The differences are clearly visible on the outside. I am now attaching a photo of the inside of the model. Perhaps Meccano Liverpool had to compromise on the technical execution of this complex curved front? This is a postwar model with smooth hubs and thick axles. Very striking is that the mockup does have the curves from the front fenders to the hood, while the fenders of the model just run straight to the hood. Was it technically too difficult to implement? Jan Oldenhuis, 16 January 2023

Yes, Jan, but in order to manage that the designers of the Lagonda model had to sacrifice the details (doors) on the sides. Otherwise the casting could not escape from the die. Kind regards, Jan W By the way, a short article of mine discussing the Lagonda is forthcoming in the next issue of Auto in Miniatuur.

Of course, Meccano Liverpool could exactly reproduce a model with curved fenders, as seen here with the 1938 Lagonda Sports Coup, dating from the same era as the 39f Studebaker Commander Coup. According to the Meccano drawing dated 9-1-1939, the model 38c was designed before the war and was issued after the war in April 1946 with 153a Jeep as one of the first new models produced after the war. And it has become a beauty. I am enclosing photos of the 1938 prototype with Dutch registration and the front of my own model 38c. Jan Oldenhuis, 18 January 2023