Re: 8.75 vs 2.1

Posted by 58L8134 On 2014/11/18 18:15:21

Hi

The engine exchange was also written up by Richard M. Langworth's Studebaker: The Postwar Years. Here's the excerpt.

As synopsis to frame the discussions, the issue was how to update the Studebaker six cylinder engine by converting it to an F-head, Barney Roos who'd perform just such on the Willys four and six was consulted.

"Barney Roos himself had been called in for consultation with William H. Graves, Packard's engineering vice president. Roos doubtless discussed his old L-head/F-head conversion, and perhaps suggested that it was pretty old hat by 1955 standards. but Roos also had another idea: Why not trade the Studebaker 259 V8 for an American Motors 200 cid six? AMC was in the market for a small eight for the Hudson Wasp and Nash Statesman - and it was already buying a 320 cid V-8 from Studebaker-Packard for its larger Nashes and Hudsons.

Graves went to see AMC chief engineer Meade Moore, and a swap of these engines was arranged in February. But that was as far as the deal got. By April, Graves had learned that AMC would introduce its own 250cid V?-8 as a 1956-1/2 model, and would not be needing the small block Studebaker. But Studebaker had already cancelled its tooling order for a new F-head Champion! Would AMC still sell it the ohv six?

George Romney was polite, but unyielding. No, he said, AMC wouldn't. Just as politely - one can visualize him gritting his teeth - Nance thanked Romney for his consideration. On September 16 Romney felt moved to explain his actions: "...if we furnished the 30,000 to 40,000 six-cylinder engines to Studebaker, we would be short of sufficient engines for the expected Rambler sales volume in 1957. Expansion of present capacity would call for an expensive across-the-board investment in machinery, equipment and considerable plant rearrangement....Our difficulty was capacity, not a lack of willingness to produce engines for Studebaker if it were possible and practical to do so."

Romney was being sincere. The Rambler was on the brink of its historic climb to number three position in the industry. AMC had a capacity at Kenosha for 160,000 to 180,000 six-cylinder engines a year. In 1957 AMC built 114,000 cars, but for 1958 it would build 217,000, most of them Rambler sixes. Romney was just as sincere when he cancelled further orders for Packard-built V-8's in late 1956: With Rambler in the ascendancy, AMC was closing out its big Hudsons and Nashes."

While cooperation could have strengthened both companies to compete with the Big Three, egos had to be satisfied first. What a shame.

Steve