The Champ was a light-duty pickup built and sold by Studebaker from 1960 to 1964. It competed with the likes of the Ford F-100 and Chevy C-10. Like the Avanti and Gran Turismo, the Champ was dropped in late calendar 1963 when Studebaker ceased vehicle production in South Bend, Indiana. This 1962 edition is a nice example with only a little rust – and it runs! Located in Whitewood, South Dakota, this rarity is available here on craigslist for $8,800.
Studebaker’s Champ is not to be confused with the Champion, an automobile. It was marketed as the least expensive truck in its class (1/2 and 3/4-ton). While the sheet metal was new or recycled, its chassis dated back to the early 1950s. And some of the former was borrowed from the Lark compact! While the Champ’s engine was an inline-six, two V8s were available from the passenger car line, displacing either 259 or 289 cubic inches.
Besides a running eight-cylinder engine, this pickup has a floor-shifted 3-speed manual transmission. The odometer is broken, so we don’t how far this truck has travelled in 63 years. The master cylinder for the brakes is new, so you should be able to put the Stude into service right away. The interior looks more than presentable, so you may have no worries there.
Rust is present in the front fenders but fear not as the seller is including replacements with the sale (buyer to install). These pickups weren’t plentiful when new, so finding one today in more than decent condition might be considered a coup. Why drive a Ford or Chevy when you can pilot a Studebaker? BTW, our thanks to Mike F. for the cool tip!
I’ve always wondered where the truck beds were sourced from since the body lines don’t flow with cab. The width of the bed is wider than the cab. Nice find and writeup.
Dodge supplied the beds.
Studebaker bought the rights from Dodge to make the boxes as Dodge wasn’t doing very good with their trucks with the understanding if Dodge needed a box or any parts for the box Studebaker would sell them to Dodge, so it helped Dodge and Studebaker as then they didn’t have to design a box and make dies saving them some money.
I like these Studebaker trucks and this one has the goods. V8 plus a 3 speed.
I see these as the girl next door instead of the cheerleader like the Ford, Chevy of the day. $8k I think is a little rich for me plus to far away otherwise I would definitely take a chance on this Stude.
I would love a Stude someday, and I always thought it would be a Lark, but daaaaaamn that is a stout, fascinating lil truck.
I always thought the Champ was the coolest pickup. I liked the Lark styling, and the mismatched box actually made it look tougher than it was. It should be noted, the “stepside” box from earlier Studebakers looked much better. With about 25,000 made, it wasn’t considered a flop and the cost, between $1800 and $2200 was considered average, but I heard it was more the old fashioned name that helped kill Studebaker. Champs are rare. A guy in N.Wis. had one, and he made sure to tell us it was NOT for sale. Cool find.
Always thought the mismatched bed made them all look like a last minute backyard assembly but your perspective made a good point, Howard. Looking at it now after seeing your description brings back a visual of the smaller kid standing on the back of the ranch hay truck who always bucked twice more as many hay bales than anyone except his dad we reverently referred to as The Fireplug!
Northern Wisconsin? Where are you from?
Phillips.
I’ve been through Phillips (last May). I’m from the Fox Cities.
I’ve always like these Studebaker pickups. They always seemed to be the underdog, which I like. The first time I saw one of these beds I admired that they were able to get it fit near the cab and wheel wells as well as they did. I’m with Howard, I always liked Lark styling on these too. You have to hand it to Studebaker for doing as good a job as they did on what must have been a shoestring budget. This one looks fairly solid, hope it gets back on the road qhere it belongs.
Price-wise its a “what ever your market will bare”. Locally (Denver/Front Range markets), there are similar trucks in the $4-5,000 range. I Considered hard a 62 that was in Delta about a year ago. Really nice run/drive survivor for $3,000 but I had to either go get it or pay another $1,000 to have it shipped up to Denver and I just couldn’t do it.
The engine looks like the ’62 289 Hawk engine in my old 54 Champion Coupe. Great engine in so many ways (heavy crank, large swept bearing area, can be bored to 0.090 over). I had to redo the valve stem seals and knurled the guides. The oil returns were too small and you could have a quart in each valve cover (of the 6 qt capacity). Some resorted to an external line from the cover to the sump. In comparison to the Ford 289 or Chevy 283, Studebaker overbuilt their motors.
Not sure about calling it a rust bucket, these did rust early in their lives. Thinking how few there really are left to work with I might call this one a survivor in need of preservation. $8000 doesn’t buy much in classic pick ups these days and a nice V8,and running. If you like the style as I do,one will be hard pressed to do better for the money. Just my thoughts!
Lovely looking truck. I got to see one not far from where I work. His was red, with a flat bed. The bed must’ve been a custom, for I don’t recall how many Studebaker produced, nor have I seen one with a flatbed. If only more pictures were posted of this truck.
Is that red canister between the oil fill tube and the left valve cover an oil filter? Neat truck , but it looks like they painted over rust. I like the 3 on the floor conversion.
Opinion take the box off and modify a step side box to fit. Lower the trunk and paint it black including the bumpers and black out the trim in a different shade of black. Some nice old school slotted or Craiger wheels
Although not the nicest thing to call something, I would call the Studebaker Champ, the Studebaker Chump.
There was a beautiful canary yellow one in my town in 1977, I loved that truck! There are several in my area still, a couple have Ford ranger beds etc. and look really good all painted up, but yes, I think this price is high for what it is.
Check out that optional sliding rear window……who’d thought they were that far ahead !
Had a long bed one just like it a 1/2 ton with the V/8 and 5 speed overdrive…..and rust….
The only rust is just forward of the door. That was pretty much standard equipment on this vintage.
Phillips? I’m from Green Bay and Wabeno myself. We were neighbors!
Lanark Illinois? or Lanark UK? I had friends in
Wabeno, I think I picked up lumber there too. Green Bay, you say? Had my truck leased to Bay Motor Transport, and made a ton of deliveries in and around GB and Fox Valley for various companies for years . My least favorite was SuperValu. Awesome rail museum I never had time to see.
Phillips is a great place, like most northern communities, devastated by unemployment, but great for retirement. Took me a long time to fit in there, but some great( and not so great) memories. Good friends too, never a bother to ask for help. It was a tough decision to move to Colorado, but it all worked out for the best.
Greenbay,,Fox cities? well I am also from the area,,closer to Oshkosh tho (west),,must be alot of Studebaker lovers around Wi.
Wow, there are some names I haven’t heard in ages. Sorry you didn’t make it to the RR museum, it’s awesome. For those who can get there, it’s a worthwhile stop. I am in Lanark Illinois, the northwest part of the state or as we call it Baja Wisconsin. Nice to hear from a cheesehead in exile. I bet you made stops at Connor Lumber in Laona.
This Studebaker truck may be a few years newer that the one that gets “SIDE SWIPED in the scene in “The Terminator” when Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), with Sara Conner (Linda Hamilton) in the car, decides he has to “ditch” the late 80’s Ford sedan he initially stole in favor of a 1976 Eldorado. Meanwhile ”THE TERMINATOR’ (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in a stolen L.A.P.D., 78 Dodge sedan is searching for the two of them, and then in the scene in a parking garage, “THE TERMINATOR” in the L.A. cop car side swipes what looked like a very clean, very straight, 59 Studebaker pickup. I just can’t decide which was the “worst case of unfortunate “vehicle destruction”. What was done to the Studebaker pickup, the 76 Eldorado, the 72 Gremlin that gets totaled later on when the TERMIATOR smashes into it with a gasoline tanker truck OR the clean,1969 Chevrolet Impala hardtop that gets “T-Boned in “TERMINATOR Terminator 2: Judgment Day” BY A CYBERDYBE Model T-1000 Terminator (Robert Patrick) driving another Tractor Trailer, that one carrying liquid oxygen.