The Champ was the last pickup produced by Studebaker, and it ran between 1960 and 1964. A light-duty model with its roots in the Lark compact, the Champ was discontinued when Studebaker withdrew from U.S. auto production mid-way through the 1964 model year. This 1962 edition is a half-ton pickup that has been painstakingly restored, powered by a Studebaker V8 engine. Located with a dealer in Rogers, Minnesota, this truck looks like it belongs more in a museum than out in the working world. It’s available here on eBay for $29,997.
Studebaker truck sales were practically nil by the end of the 1950s, so the success of the new Lark compact provided a much-needed infusion of cash. Some of that was directed to the truck division, which came up with the Champ the year after the Lark was born (1959, 1960). When you park a Lark and a Champ next to one another, you can see the Lark’s styling cues are apparent in the truck, which went largely unchanged until the end came. While an inline-6 was standard, the seller has the optional 259 cubic inch V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor and automatic transmission.
Finished in Apache Red with a two-tone interior, this 1962 Champ looks brand new, and the odometer reads just 37,000 miles. We’re told it’s had the same owner for the past 25 years, which helps explain its babied condition of late. Though it’s in Minnesota now, we understand that this Stude spent most of its life in the South, which may have contributed to its solid condition. During the restoration, the floor of the bed was coated, and stake sides added (a nice touch).
Nice Studebakers are hard to come by these days, and a truck version is even more scarce. These vehicles were often worked hard and then discarded, but that’s not the case here, making for perhaps the nicest one left anywhere. Would you drive the truck or tuck it away for future posterity? Thanks for the cool tip, Curvette!
Very nice indeed!
They have had this one for sale for years
Why, price too high???
I just bought a 1964, it was the last year of production.
looks stunning. almost looks like a model truck. you never see these on the road for sure
Pretty sure it is out of a museum, I think I saw it on American Pickers.
This is well done! You sure didn’t see many Studebaker trucks out west other than the models that preceded this one. I did see cars right until they pulled the plug completely.
When this truck was new I’d have been about 11 years old. I remember seeing the odd one and always thought that the box looked out of place–like someone had taken it off another make of truck and stuck it onto this one. And, low and behold, that’s exactly what happened. Well, I do give the guys at Studebaker credit for doing the best they could with what they had.
The one that I’ve always liked was the one I attached here. These M-series trucks had some attractive styling. The 50s brought out some good looking trucks too.
But Studebaker built some good engines. I would love to see one of these V8s in an M-series…
I agree – the Studebaker trucks from the 40’s and 50’s are, in my eyes, the nicest truck design of their time.
Thanks for the picture of the nice M-series.
There are a couple Champ pickups out near me. The best looking ones have beds from other pickups on them. One has a really cool stepside bed, I think from a Ford ranger.
Love this truck, such a rare find these days! Knew a guy back in Ky who had a 59. He bought a wrecked 70 Caddy and took the 472 and 400 turbo transmission and fitted into the Stude. This was in the late 80’s and that truck was scary. Not only that, but he also had a spark plug inside one of the pipes coming out the left side exhaust in front of the rear wheel and the darn would throw a flame 10 ft, even going down the road! Not sure how he did it but he won a flame throwing contest in Gatlinburg one year at the annual Rod Run. We pulled into a Shell station one Sunday afternoon in that thing, he shut the ignition off, and it backfired, shooting a huge flame. There were people grabbing kids, scattering all over! The good ole days
LMAO! That had to be hilarious, shooting a flame across the yard. Putting a 472 into a truck like that is hard to imagine. Were you able to keep the rear wheels from spinning? It must have gone like a striped-a$$d ape. Pass everything on the road but the gas station…
South Bend Salad. Lark sedan front end fitted to the 1949 vintage truck chassis and the late 50s Dodge pickup bed. Studebaker made it work, doing more with their parts bin.
My boss had one of these when I was in high school. Got to drive it for work once in a while, I liked it. That was a three on the tree. Wonder how many young people today could drive something like that?
Well, while I should be basking in the response from the toilet post, I’m still a bit disappointed in the sites way they choose what gets printed. I know how the site features Studebakers on a regular basis, therefore, I found a ’63 TRANSTAR stake bed,( that still used the old cab) rare as common sense today, yet, it was passed by. But the toilet they print?
Beautiful truck. I saw a Studebaker Champ not far from where I live. It looked brand spankin’ new.
Yep….looks like the new trucks – Toyota has had this front end for years….