The Champion was considered Studebaker’s “entry-level” model in the late ’40s and ’50s. It was the affordable economy car for the brand and was fairly common. The example at hand is said to have 93k miles and is the seller’s current daily driver. It is for sale on craigslist for $4,700 in Federal Way, Washington. The seller is also open to trades.
The car’s exterior is finished in what could be factory Glacier Green if it’s original. It could definitely benefit from a repaint as the paint is patchy and aged. The seller notes that no rust is present. It would be neat to see this car lowered and painted in a flat black. The top appears finished in black.
The interior is finished in khaki cloth and is likely unoriginal. It’s in good condition with some small stains and blemishes that could potentially be taken care of with a detailing service. The dash and steering wheel seem to be original which is a neat nostalgic feature. For the price, the next owner could justify doing a highly custom-modified interior, or just drive and enjoy it as is.
No engine bay shots are included in the ad. A 6-cylinder, inline engine sends 80 horsepower to the wheels via a 3-speed manual transmission with a column-mounted shifter. This car has been well-cared for and in is great condition considering it’s 75 years old. The fact that the seller drives it to work every day is a testament to its reliability and level of maintenance. It is hard to find a running, vintage vehicle for sale for under 5000 dollars these days. This presents an excellent opportunity to restore a survivor. It could also be left as-is and still be a head-turner. If you are interested in adding this adorable Studebaker to your collection contact the seller on craigslist.
If there is indeed no rust and it runs well, this could be the deal of the month. And you wouldn’t be seeing another one like it cruising around town.
And it would be an abomination to see it “lowered and painted in flat black”!!! How can anyone even consider doing such a thing??? And a modified interior when it is in such nice shape? You gotta be kidding!
“very day”! ?
I’m with JDC on this one… with one exception: Since the roof’s already been kanckered, give it a schpritz of light tan or ivory and do it up right. Beats trying to reproduce the original. As for the baked hood? …
Only thing’s it’s missing is OD that was so prevalent in these. At my age I recall lots of these “Stoodeez”– not as many as some other makes but still lots of them– purring past this furiously pedaling teenager.
Lowered and flat black? Sara, I like your ‘edge’!
If this were a Starlight Coupe and double the price it would no longer be for sale, ’cause I woulda bought it! I’ve always wanted a Starlight. Found one on Hemmings a few years ago, told seller I would have a professional inspector I know come look at it and bring him a check for the asking price. Told him inspection would take 4-5 hours as my guy is meticulous. He said he wouldn’t sell it to me because he didn’t want somebody “messing” with his car for that long. Told him I didn’t expect it to be “Like new”, just wanted to know what I was getting…he still said no and wouldn’t return further phone calls.
Probably realized it wouldn’t pass your inspection.
If the car would benefit from a re-paint, you can do the roof at the same time. Unfortunately, shipping to the east coast is cost-prohibitive, and wouldn’t drive it cross country.
Curious as to cost of a 3,500 mile trip across country, $2,500 in open trailer? More or less? Snow this time of year.
Had an SUV shipped from South Carolina to California about 4 months ago. Cost $900.
now coast to coast Henry is over $2k!!!!
Wow! I used SGT Transport, took VW Touareg from Hilton Head to San Diego. Was in no particular hurry, so let them pick it up whenever it was convenient. Maybe that made a difference?
Don’t know…5 quotes….all between $2300-$2600 to go from Washington to Michigan!!!
Deadbeat seller…doesn’t want to sell or answer questions..buyer beware..