From 1939 to 1958, the Champion was the “bread and butter” car of Studebaker, which meant it appealed to budget-minded buyers. In 1953, the Champion differed from the Commander in that it used an inline-6 while the latter came with a V8 engine. 2-door sedans were referred to as Starlights, while the hardtops were Starliners (the styling would apply later to the myriad of Hawks that were built from 1956 to 1964). Located in Silex, Missouri, this ’53 Champion wears an older restoration but seems quite nice 36 years later. It’s available here on Facebook Marketplace for $19,500 OBO.
Fourth generation Champions were on the assembly line from 1953 to 1956. Gone was the “bullet-nose” styling that characterized the cars earlier in the decade. A 170 cubic inch “L-head” inline-6 was standard in 1953, replaced later by 186 cubic inches. Styling credit goes to the Raymond Loewy Design Studios, who provided lots of layouts for Studebaker. These Champions were more streamlined than their predecessors and, thus, popular in land speed racing circles. More than 93,000 Champions were built in 1953, a good year for Studebaker (before they merged the next year with Packard).
From the seller’s description, they may have owned the car for several years, perhaps dating to its restoration in 1990. The odometer reading is said to be 40,000 miles, perhaps using the restoration as a starting point. The inline-6 is paired with a 3-speed manual transmission. The primary color of the paint looks to be rose, and the interior is grey and looks good from what we can tell.
More recent repairs include a new generator and some brake work. The car looks to be ship shape overall with no rust. We’re told the reason for the sale is health issues in the family. These cars seem to turn up less often than the later Hawks, and this one might be a dandy. Do you have 20 grand to put into a Cars & Coffee “Champion”? Thanks for the South Bend tip, “Zappenduster”.
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