by Sandy Kurbis
Studebaker ½ ton pickup truck, Model 2R5 – Serial Number HR5-1275
Studebaker is the only car company to ever manufacture vehicles in Hamilton. In 1946, Studebaker of Canada Ltd. acquired the 7 ½ acre anti-aircraft gun factory located on Victoria Avenue North, and converted it into a car and light truck production facility. The first Hamilton-made Studebaker’s rolled of the Victoria Avenue assembly line in August of 1948, and the plant produced its last vehicle March 16, 1966.
Studebaker produced its Canadian market 2R5 pick-up truck in Hamilton from 1949-1953. It was the first truck ever produced in North America without exposed running boards and with a double sided pickup bed that was smooth on both the inside and outside. Over its 5-year production run in Hamilton, Studebaker produced a total of 6,602 2R5 trucks, of which few survive today.
Our 1949 Studebaker 2R5 was delivered new to a barley farmer outside Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It originally had red paint, some of which can still be seen inside the cab area. It is a one-family owned example that spent its entire life working on a barley farm producing malts for the beer industry.
We are happy to bring our Studebaker back to her birthplace in Hamilton, and look forward to preserving another piece of Hamilton heritage, and extending her life in the beer industry as a part of the Shawn & Ed Brewing Company Team!