1937 Studebaker J-5 Coupe-Express
Two decades before Ford’s Ranchero and Chevrolet’s El Camino popularized the car-based pickup concept, Studebaker pioneered this innovative approach with stunning Art Deco styling. Based on the Dictator passenger car chassis and sharing its front sheetmetal, the design featured flowing lines that made it appear more like a factory hot rod than a conventional truck.
Unlike typical trucks of the era that used wooden beds, the Coupe-Express featured a 16-gauge double-wall steel construction with half-ton capacity. The characteristic side-mount spare tire kept the bed area completely open for cargo hauling.
Power came from a 218 cubic inch L-head inline six producing 86 horsepower, paired with a three-speed synchromesh manual transmission. Originally priced at $695, it rode on a 116-inch wheelbase and featured four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
Production totaled approximately 5,700 units from 1937 through 1939, with roughly 3,000 built in the inaugural 1937 model year. Today, fewer than 20 fully restored examples are believed to exist in the United States.
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