Do you like the Lark, but need something more useful? We’ve got the truck for you: here on eBay is a 1964 Studebaker Champ flatbed, priced at $4000 – a discount off the seller’s previous ask of $5500. The truck is located in Gray Court, South Carolina. The styling was derived by using the Lark’s front end sheet metal, placed on a truck chassis, with a newly-designed wall closing off the cab from the bed. The rear glass window slid open – a popular feature that was adopted by many other OEMs in short order – and the grille was shifted away from the Lark’s delicate mesh to a more pugnacious set of horizontal bars. Given that Studebaker allotted less than $1 million for the new truck’s development, this solution was a serious bit of ingenuity. The half-ton trucks sold about 5000 units a year, but in ’64, only 2509 were produced, mostly overruns from ’63 as Studebaker shut down in the US for good.
Base model Champs were powered by Studebaker’s ancient 170 cu. in. flathead, later revised to an OHV configuration. Throughout production, buyers could opt for either a 259 cu. in. V8, or the beefier 289; either engine could be equipped with a two- or four-barrel carburetor. This Champ wears a 259/two-barrel combo, and despite the engine’s crusty demeanor, it does run and drive, though the seller warns it could use TLC. A Borg-Warner Flight-O-Matic auto brings the power to the rear wheels.
The interior is as simple as they come, composed mostly of Lark bits. This steering wheel is probably not original. The bench seat does feature a pull-down armrest – and its upholstery is surprisingly intact. Glass is good, and from what we can see, the interior trim and handles are present.
Were this not a flatbed, we would see that Studebaker borrowed a bed from Dodge as it cobbled together its little pickup. Following the standard of the day, the company named its bed, calling it the Spaceside. Asking prices for these nifty trucks range past $30k, but actual sales prices are a fraction of that, with many examples not even reaching into the teens. I’d hate to see this truck go to the crusher – as the seller suggests it might – but there’s a lot of work ahead before it can be safe and reliable, let alone a good looker. What do you think – is this Champ worth saving?
Probably a parts truck, this old gal hasn’t been treated well in a long time. Studebaker didn’t make a bad truck, but the company was scratching to survive by 64. Car sales numbers were not great and I am sure trucks numbers were not very high, Chevy and Ford were building the pickup trucks. That’s my reasoning for a parts truck.
Agree – super nice one in OKC for 1/3 of that price…..tempted on the OKC but need to get rid of some stuff….
Go for it. You only live once.
If seller doesn’t want it to go to the crusher, maybe start by, I dunno, not asking an insane price?
The Champ was a pretty good looking truck, except for that unfortunate box. This flatbed remedies that. Plus it’s got the color FoMoCo steering wheel. Let me did around in my wallet.
They did keep the step side bed from the earlier 2R and E seris trucks….
Yes, the stepsides looked MUCH better on these!
Is that steering wheel from an AMX?
It does have an AMC look to it. I owned two ’67 Ambassador DPLs and that wheel seems familiar. But, factor in the passage of 30+ years and a failing memory and all bets are off. ;)
Seen a lot worse for a lot more. Runs and drives, that’s a good start. Seller already knocked $1500 off, bet a reasonable offer would get it.
Been seeing it for awhile….still has dropped it down enough to move it down the road….
lets see,,crusher price $300.00 if lucky bring the price down to where somebody can buy and fix it ,,, $5000.00 is way out of range, and its pretty rough but repairable,,,,I”ve got a wide box for it
Ah, the Chummm,,,p. I think it’s safe to assume, nobody wanted a Lark, much less a Lark shaped pickup. Not me, however, I thought the Champ was a really cool truck. I happened to like the Lark, and a Lark truck was perfect. It’s odd,,Studebaker was such a viable contender in the truck market for so many years. Got us through wars, and what not. But by the 60s, all that went away and a shame. The Champ was an excellent truck, like IH, used many aftermarket parts, and had styling to boot, yet, couldn’t do it. This particular truck is pretty cashed, but parts are unobtainium, and someone will grab it,,,just not $5grand, is all.
The steering wheel looks like 1968 Mustang
AMC used this steering wheel in several vehicles. The most common was the Javelin. There was a guy in our area that had 2 Champs for sale and listed on Craigslist for a long time. One was sold and the other did not. The listing finally expired. The prices were considerably less than this. I was tempted. But current project demands got in the way.
Probably some guy or gal out there would be thrilled to have a running truck instead of walking. Sell it for a few hundred dollars to a needy individual!
I carry very little affection for the truck but I’d probably beat crusher price for it. Not by a lot mind you.