From its beginnings in 1939, the Champion would be Studebaker’s price-leading model. It would remain in the company portfolio through 1958 when it was replaced by a new compact car, the Lark. The seller’s 1949 Champion is a very nice car for surprisingly not a lot of money. It may only need a new generator to be a regular runner. From Grass Valley, California, this Studebaker is available here on eBay for $5,650 (Buy It Now). Kudos to Larry D for this find!
The third generation of the Champion, 1947-52, would be the company’s first new automobile after World War II. One of its new styling features was the wraparound “greenhouse” rear window that was used on 2-door, 5-passenger coupes. These Champions were powered by a 170 cubic inch inline-6 engine that was rated at 80 hp with a 3-speed-manual transmission. Overdrive was optional and is part of the seller’s car.
It’s a shame that a car as nice as this one has been a challenge to sell. The owner had to relist the auto due to a deadbeat buyer not following through with his/her obligation. This Champion presents very well and we’re guessing it has been restored at some point, though the seller doesn’t go into that. The odometer reading is just 16,000 miles, which would be amazing if accurate. The body and paint look quite nice as do the chrome pieces and interior.
Recent improvements to the Studebaker include a new set of tires all around and a new exhaust system. However, the generator is not charging the battery, so that’s going to require some investigation. Excluding that problem, we’re told the Champion runs and drives as it should, with no knocks in the engine or producing any smoke. The seller is a Mopar fan and would rather devote more of his time and money to those kinds of cars, hence the reason for the sale.
Wow, what a great car to see after all these years. Thank you BF Staff for finding this stuff. Some of us really love the post war cars and could care less about more Chargers and Camaros. I wish Studebaker could have held on, but of course, who knows what they might be like today. After all, look what has happened to Chrysler, for all intensive purposes dead in the water and sinking fast. Plymouth is gone (idiots), Dodge trucks no longer are called Dodges, and when was the last time you saw a new Chrysler on the road? (not to mention Desoto and Imperial). Before you know it the dealerships will be the Jeep/Ram store and Chrysler will be no more. Too bad, once they made wonderful stuff, just like Studdies were.
Chrysler did introduce a new vehicle with the Pacifica series of vans in 2020. They come in hybrids, full electric, and the 3.5 gas engines with 10 speed automatic. We bought this 2021 and it really gets down the road with power well above anything else out there. With the middle seats down it hauls everything we need as well as pulling our open trailer. Lot of them on the road so they must be doing something right. As for Studebaker and after owning a ’53 coupe, it was a little sad to see them tank over the years.
Well this Studebaker is in good shape and easy to fix. Take your hybrid. It hasn,t gotten a proven record yet. Let,s see what kid of shape it will be in 20 years down the road. To haul anything? I don,t think so. Put 1,000 lbs in the back and see how it holds up. Need a battery for the hybrid? What do you think it will cost you? Better have about $6,000 hand. Plus a fork lift to put it in. Look at the time it takes to charge one of those batterys About 11 hours. Plus they don,t even have any charge stations up yet. Also think about people ahead of you waiting in line. The hybrd cars are a joke. Give me a old car any day. This enviro green deal is a scam. Weather has been changing for years. Have you heard of the ICE AGE? What made the Grand Canyon loose so much water. Water washed cracks in the bottom of the river over time. You some common sence .
Johnny. Agree with most of what you said. That’s why the one we bought has the big 3.5 and 10 speed transmission.
I must disagree, Rigor; Chrysler is the only “original’ domestic brand still producing CARS, and some good ones at that. (Yes, Toyota, Honda, and Genesis are as well, but they’re not “original” domestics.) The others have succumbed to the white/gray/black “potatoes” that offer nothing for the enthusiast and little for driving pleasure. Ram pickups are definitely the best engineered domestics, and who can fault the Hemi V-8?
This looks like a great price for a good entry to collector cars. If it’s as nice as the pictures and yeah I know photos can lie, it’s a steal. Needs someone with auto electrical knowledge and possibly a rebuild of the generator. Was closer to me I would put it in my garage for a year and drive it.
I see a number of running collector cars for under $10K and this is a great example. These are fairly easy to work on and there’s a lot of support out there for Studebakers. Somebody go grab it!
I was born in the backseat of a 1949 Studebaker Commander, delivered by my grandmother. Needless to say I will always have the utmost respect for the Studebaker brand. Mom & Dad’s next car was a 1956 Hudson Hornet Special, both long gone. As the song goes, ‘Yesterday’s wine, yesterday’s wine, aging with time.’
I was brought home in a ’50 Bullet nose with the wrap around rear window. Warped me for life.
I own a 1951 Champion Starlight Coupe, with the real wraparound rear window. The one for sale here isn’t that. But it’s still a nice car and a nice price
Well now, here’s a nice little car for a decent price. Charging system problems are not real hard to track down and repair on these old cars. I repaired many of them in my days as an auto mechanic, sometimes working in auto electric shops. These were not high speed cars but were dependable and easy on gas. The seats were actually fairly comfortable so you could spend several hours riding the highways without feeling great fatigue. I once drove a friend of mine in his Studebaker 49 or 50 (I don’t remember for sure now) from Tacoma, Washington to Grants Pass, Oregon one night and never got tired. it was the same drivetrain as this one and we cruised along I-5 at 55 mph which was the speed limit at that time with no trouble. The trip back was the same. I truly hope someone does this car justice.
God Bless America
I’ve driven I-5 from Seattle to Medford and Grants Pass many times. Would love to do it sometime in an old Studdie. My Dad loved studebakers for some reason and so I inherited the bug. He had a 1957 Golden Hawk and several GTs. He always longed for an Avanti, but these were always out of his price range. If I were in the market today for classic car, this one would be on the short list. And by the way, anyone interested but afraid because of the generator issue, that is a tiny thing and easy to fix.
Apparently someone else shared our enthusiasm; it’s been sold.
My dad had a ’48 Starlite Coupe – of which I have a lot of very fond memories. I was too young to drive – but I loved the aesthetics (and still do). In the early post-war years when other American manufacturers were turning out slightly warmed-over pre-war designs, Studebaker shocked the automotive world with these new designs that fundamentally inspired all automotive designs even into the next century. “Which is the front? Which is the back?” buyers asked. Quite a conversation piece over late ‘40s coffee tables…
‘Sorry, (I) missed out on this one’. I was ready for a deal like this. I’ld dump my 61 Catalina for a chance at one of these 47-52’s
Yes, but to part with that wide track Pontiac! That might be hard. Pontiac was really on the rebound in 1961 from old stodgy to wide track and power and even glamor.
Johnny,
You’re confusing “climate” with “weather”. Two entirely different phenomena. Much as I love old cars, I realize that carbon-based energy is not a long term solution – our planet cannot tolerate it. I know at least some of your objections to EVs currently have some validity, but have a bit of faith in the future and the development it surely can bring – answering all your concerns and more. EVs and battery technology are in their infancy. I suppose there is a remote possibility that you are right, but given the consequences, can we afford to take a chance on it? By the time you’re convinced, it will be too late to fix it.
(“That’s very clever, Mr Edison, but I’ll stick to my kerosene lamps. You don’t really think those things are going to catch on, do you? How long do those filaments last? Oh? You’d have to buy new ones several times a week then! Oh, and you say you can’t just replace the filaments? You have to replace the whole bulb? And they cost HOW much? My god, man, and you’d have to string wires all over town. Nobody’s gonna put up with that!)
And what’s more, the car is SOLD! Dang…
This is the car “Iggy Wiggum” dreamed about while fighting Dubja, Dubja 2, “when I get home, I want a new Studebaker with one of those little fans on the dash”, and that wasn’t too far off.Studebaker was huge in the war. Many, like my grandfather who bought a Packard mostly because of their war efforts( although he never served) people thought the same about Studebaker. I read, a GI’s salary was $50/month, and most sent the money home. When,,and IF, they got home, THIS was the car they bought. It cost $1535 new, and like bamapoppy sez, started their new lives with one. Nobody mentioned the styling, which had huge military overtones, the “turret” cockpit, “gunsight” hood ornament, we were very proud we won, and nobody portrayed that more than Studebaker. I get a kick out of “oh dear, it doesn’t charge the battery, must be something BIG, computer, sensors, NOT MY CHILLED CUP HOLDER NOW,,yep, that whole electrical system has to come out,,,”,,,as conditioned by todays repairs, but, and here’s where I love to gloat,,,probably a stuck brush, a rap on the side with a hammer,,,ta-da! It’s not a Porsche Cayenne, people, it’s a ’49 Studebaker, I love it,,nobody knows what to do!!
Howard,
‘ Love your writing, and I learned a lot. ‘ Never thought about the WW II references. My dad bought ours used in about 1950. The Korean War had just broken out and he feared gas rationing might be in the future. Studebakers were known to get 28 mpg. Ours did!
When I graduated from H.S. got a used 48 Commander 2 dr W/OD. fast car, and the “big 6” would run all day @70mph new wife couldn’t handle a non power car,traded it..
Well I just looked at eBay and this beauty has sold as of April 10th. Congratulations to the seller and to the buyer. I hope it gives our new studio owner many years of joy on the road. By the way if you are a fan of Studebakers you need to get yourself to South Bend to the Studebaker museum. You will not be disappointed.
Didn’t just about all Studebakers of that era come standard with O/D? ‘ Can’t remember if ours had Hillholder or not.
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Deal-of-the-week! Or possibly the year! Great price.