The Champion was an all-new car in 1939, one of the few times that Studebaker designed something that didn’t have to be built from the existing parts bin. It was the entry-level companion to the better-trimmed Commander. This nice coupe looks like a survivor-quality automobile though the seller doesn’t tell us much besides “history known” (sharing would help). Located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, this old workhorse is available here on craigslist for $20,000. Kudos to T.J. for this find.

Champion was a name that Studebaker applied to its junior cars from 1939 to 1958. It was retired with the introduction of the compact Lark in 1959. When the first generation was designed, the engineering watchword was “weight is the enemy” so things were done to keep the new cars as light as possible. A side benefit to weight-watching was the cars were great on gas (27 mpg) for the era and won several Mobilgas economy runs. You could buy one of these machines for as little as $660 new (nearly $13,000 today).

These autos were powered by a 164 cubic inch I-6 engine that produced 78 hp paired with a 3-speed manual transmission (weren’t most cars like that in those days?). They were spartan autos, but if you bought the Deluxe edition, you got extras like armrests and dual windshield wipers (zounds!). Out of nearly 86,000 Studebakers assembled in 1939, the Champion accounted for 34,000 copies.

We wish the seller was more generous in his/her use of words. We’re told it’s a survivor car, so that implies the paint is original and the motor has not been rebuilt at 42,000 miles. The black paint is shiny, and the interior seems to be complete, though we get just one photo inside. And no pics under the hood or inside the trunk. The seller says he/she knows the history of the Studebaker, so sharing some of it would help move the car at the asking price.