Studebakers come home to Gettysburg

Car club to honor automobile's roots in Adams County, Pa.

(Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) - 6/23/2011

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CONTACT:
Carl Whitehill
Media Relations Manager
Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau
(717) 338-1055
[email protected]

In the early 1800s, the franchise of one of the country’s most treasured automobiles began near Heidlersburg, Pa. There, John Studebaker ran a blacksmith shop, and crafted horse drawn carriages, a business that would eventually lead to the development of the Studebaker automobile – an American classic.

This July, the Avanti Owners Association International and the Keystone Region Chapter of the Studebaker Driver’s Club is bringing Studebakers back to their roots with a meeting of both clubs, July 13-16 at the Eisenhower Hotel and Conference Center, south of Gettysburg.

“With the rich history of the Studebaker brand right here in Adams County, there is no better place to host this event,” organizers of the event, Denny Foust and Don Jones. “Over three days, car owners will showcase their vehicles, buy and sell parts and share their passion for this all-American automobile.”

Throughout the three days, car owners will visit locations throughout the area, including the Gettysburg Battlefield, Eisenhower National Historic Site and the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing in York Springs, Pa. Hundreds of Studebaker models, spanning the automobile’s 50 years, will be on display for the public to see during a concourse on Saturday, July 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Studebaker name is still tied to the Gettysburg area. In nearby East Berlin, visitors can still see a Studebaker family homestead, and near Heidlersburg, a roadside marker, and monument marking the site of John Studebaker’s original blacksmith shop. The monument was dedicated by the Keystone Region Chapter in 1980 and is located on Studebaker lane less than a mile west of Oxford Road.

The Studebaker story starts with John Clement Studebaker who built his first wagon shop in 1830. The family eventually moved west to South Bend, Ind. In 1852, his sons founded the manufacturing company that later became a renowned builder of automobiles and trucks. The business turned to gasoline powered automobiles in the early 1900s through 1966, when the last Studebaker rolled off the assembly line.

“We’re thrilled the Studebakers are coming back to the Gettysburg area,” said Norris Flowers, President of the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We hope that people not only see these amazing automobiles, but learn about the history behind this great company while they are here.”

The Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, the official tourism promotion agency, markets Gettysburg – Adams County as a premier travel destination, producing a positive economic impact.

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