{"id":11101,"date":"2022-08-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/studebaker.priemerhosting.com\/rockne-automobile\/"},"modified":"2022-08-19T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T00:00:00","slug":"rockne-automobile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/rockne-automobile\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rockne Automobile"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9471 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.studebakermuseum.org\/studebaker-main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1932-Rockne-65-sedan-ad-for-web.jpg\" alt=\"A 1932 Rockne advertisement. This is a drawing of the Rockne with a lady in a Cloche sitting in the front seat of the car.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"829\" srcset=\"https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1932-Rockne-65-sedan-ad-for-web.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1932-Rockne-65-sedan-ad-for-web-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1932-Rockne-65-sedan-ad-for-web-1024x707.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1932-Rockne-65-sedan-ad-for-web-768x531.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The automobile that became the Rockne was developed by Ralph Vail and Roy Cole, two independent automotive engineers from Detroit, Michigan. In early 1930, Vail and Cole were contracted to create a new automobile for the Willys-Overland Corporation of Toledo, Ohio. Two prototypes were built and received an enthusiastic response from the Willys-Overland board, but the company lacked funds to pursue the project. Vail and Cole retained the design rights as well as the two prototypes. Each man took one car and headed on vacation.<\/p>\n<p>Ralph Vail owned a farm near Michigan City, Indiana. His journey from Toledo took him through South Bend on a Saturday afternoon. With nothing to lose, Vail visited the Studebaker Administration Building and managed to arrange a meeting with Studebaker President Albert Erskine that very day. Erskine was impressed with Vail and his automobile, and before the sun had set he hired both Vail and Cole and slated their new car for production.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-9472 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.studebakermuseum.org\/studebaker-main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Rockne-at-Staduim-13644-for-web-712x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Knute Rockne stands next to a Studebaker with a Notre Dame football player.\" width=\"495\" height=\"712\" srcset=\"https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Rockne-at-Staduim-13644-for-web-712x1024.jpg 712w, https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Rockne-at-Staduim-13644-for-web-209x300.jpg 209w, https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Rockne-at-Staduim-13644-for-web-768x1104.jpg 768w, https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Rockne-at-Staduim-13644-for-web-1069x1536.jpg 1069w, https:\/\/studebakermuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Rockne-at-Staduim-13644-for-web.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px\" \/>The new car was built by the Rockne Motors Corporation, a newly-created Studebaker subsidiary named for the late Notre Dame Football Head Coach Knute Rockne. In addition to coaching, Rockne served as Studebaker\u2019s Assistant Sales Manager from 1928 until his death in 1931. Contrary to popular belief, there are no images of Knute Rockne and the Rockne automobile. He died eight months before its introduction.<\/p>\n<p>The Rockne was slotted as an entry-level model in Studebaker\u2019s corporate lineup. The Studebaker Corporation, reeling from the Great Depression, had put all of its remaining resources into the Rockne. Although the Rockne was Studebaker\u2019s volume leader, sales were not nearly enough to purge the red ink from the company\u2019s ledgers.<\/p>\n<p>In the spring of 1933 Studebaker entered receivership. The company reorganized and resumed production a short time later, but the Rockne was not among Studebaker\u2019s new lineup. Just over 38,000 Rocknes were built in the car\u2019s two-year production run.<\/p>\n<h2>ABOUT THIS SERIES<\/h2>\n<p class=\"post-title\">Studebaker\u2019s Cousins was on display at the Museum in 2014.\u00a0 This\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.studebakermuseum.org\/exhibition\/keep-truckin-american-pick-truck\/\">series of articles<\/a>\u00a0comes for the displays from that exhibition.<\/p>\n<h2>ADDITIONAL LINKS<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theantiquestudebakerclub.com\/rockne\/rockne.htm\">Rockne Registry<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/und.com\/trads-rockne-html\/\">Knute Rockne Bio<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The automobile that became the Rockne was developed by Ralph Vail and Roy Cole, two independent automotive engineers from Detroit, Michigan. 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