1952 Studebaker Champion

When the Studebaker vehicles first appeared in 1902, they were one of the most unique vehicles on the roads. The Studebaker brothers established the company in South Bend, Indiana, and their early automobile creations were electric vehicles with battery power and offered in a variety of body styles inspired by the bodies of the carriages pulled by horses. By 1904, Studebaker had switched to gasoline power.

The Studebaker Automobile Company demonstrated its futuristic designs, reliability, and innovation throughout its existence, and in 1952 they planned to celebrate its 100th anniversary by building an all-new vehicle, but due to growing tensions and conflicts of the Korean War, it continued to employ the same designs as the 1947 year.

From 1939 to 1942, the Champion was Studebaker's most affordable vehicle within the lineup, and when civilian automobile production resumed following World War II, the Champion was the only Studebaker offered. All new models and styling arrived in 1947, making them the first new cars after World War II. The 1947 Champion was joined by the top-of-the-line model Commander, with the Champion resting on a 112-inch wheelbase platform and the Commander employing a 119-inch wheelbase. The Land Cruiser, part of the Commander Series, used a 123-inch wheelbase. Both the Champion and the Commander were powered by a six-cylinder, L-head engine with solid valve lifters, four main bearings, and a one-barrel carburetor. The Champion had a 169.6 cubic-inch displacement and offered 80 horsepower while the Commander had a 226.2 CID with 94 horsepower.

Studebaker introduced the 'spinner' grille in 1950, similar to the designs of the 1949 Ford, and would remain a styling element through the 1952 model year.

The 1952 Studebaker
1952 Studebaker models included the entry-level Champion and the top-of-the-line Commander. Trim levels within the Champion included the Custom and Deluxe, with both offered as a two- and four-door sedan and a Starlight Coupe. The top trim level was the Regal, which came with the body styles found on the lower two trims, plus a two-door Starliner hardtop and a convertible.

The Commander trim levels included the Regal and State, both with a two- and four-door sedan and a starlight coupe. The State trim level also contained a convertible and the starliner. The top trim level was the Land Cruiser, with a four-inch longer wheelbase at 119 inches, and offered solely as a sedan. Prices on the Champion ranged from $1,740 to $2,275. Prices on the Commander listed from $2,085 to $2,550. Both the Champion and the Commander employed a 115-inch wheelbase platform except for the 199-inch chassis of the Land Cruiser.

The Champion was powered by a 169.6 cubic-inch L-head engine with a cast-iron block, solid valve lifters, four main bearings, a Carter one-barrel carburetor, a 7.0:1 compression ratio, and delivered 85 horsepower at 4,000 RPM. The Commander came equipped with a 232.6 cubic-inch engine with 120 horsepower. All models came standard with a three-speed manual transmission with column-mounted gearshift controls. An overdrive transmission, an automatic drive, and a 7.5:1 compression ratio were available on both models.

Styling updates on the Champion for 1952 were minimal. The upper portion of each taillight was hooded, an oblong emblem was added above the grille molding, and the grille molding now formed a 'V' in the center of the grille. The prior 'bullet-nose' design was replaced by a more conventional horizontal grille, and the business coupe of the previous year was no longer on the list of available body styles. Hardtops could be purchased with two-tone finishes.

The base-level 'Custom' trim level had painted headlights and taillight trim rings. The 'Deluxe' trim level added a chrome headlight and taillight trim rings. The Regal line had the features of the 'Deluxe' plus stainless steel rocker panel moldings.

The two-door 'Deluxe' sedan was priced at $1,830, and the Starlight Coupe was approximately $30 higher, and the sedan at $1,860. The sedan was once again the most popular with 24,542 examples built, followed by 12,989 of the two-door sedan and 6,075 of the Starlight Coupe.

The two-door 'Regal' Sedan was priced at $1,915, the sedan at $1,945, the Starlight Coupe at $1,940, the Starliner Hardtop at $2,220, and the convertible at $2,275. 20,566 examples of the sedan were built, along with 12,119 of the Starliner Hardtop, 6,183 of the Starlight Coupe, 5,534 of the two-door sedan, and 1,575 of the convertible.

The combined 101,389 examples of the 1952 Studebaker Champion accounted for approximately sixty percent of the company's total production.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2021