The first automobile bearing the name President was unveiled on July 23, 1926, designated as the ES model in internal Studebaker memos.

The primary advances of the 1931 engine was the increase in displacement to 337 cu in (5,520 cc) and the crankshaft was drilled for oil passage to each of its nine large main bearings.

It also had modern filters for air, oil, and fuel, an improved thermostat, and a Lanchester vibration damper.

Presidents manufactured in this era were considered to rival more expensive marques such as Cadillac, Packard, Lincoln, and Chrysler’s Imperial model range.

Studebaker went into receivership during 1933-34, Albert Erskine committed suicide, and the era of the big, impressive President came to an abrupt end.

[7] For 1935, Presidents and Commanders offered an optional steel sliding roof similar to sunroofs common on vehicles today.

[8] Studebaker made its Hill-Holder device (an anti-rollback brake system) standard on the President in that year.

This vehicle was designated the Land Cruiser, recognizable by its concealed running-boards and lack of rear quarter-windows.