1951 Studebaker Champion

Studebaker became the first major American manufacturer to announce an all-new design, in May of 1946, with the introduction of its 1947 range. The design was created by Raymond Loewy and Virgil Exner, featuring a straight-through front wing line and lowered bonnets. The Starlight Coupes had a wrap-around rear window. The company introduced another landmark automotive styling feature for 1950 in the form of a 'Bullet Nose' that was clearly influenced by the coming of the 'Jet Age.'

The 1951 Studebaker Champion was the company's entry-level series offered in Custom, Deluxe, and Regal trim levels. Bodystyles consisted of the 2- and 4-door sedan, coupe, and starlight coupe. The Regal Line added a convertible. Power was from an L-head six-cylinder engine displacing 169.6 cubic inches and delivering 85 horsepower. The wheelbase measured 119 inches and had an overall length of 197.5 inches. A three-speed manual transmission with a column-mounted gearshift was standard, with overdrive being a $92 option. Automatic Drive was a $201 option.

Changes for the 1951 Studebaker Champion included a plastic centerpiece on the 'bullet nose,' and the outer section was painted body color. All body styles received the one-piece curved windshields, and the former two-piece rear window on two- and four-door sedans became a one-piece unit. The prior 'Regal Deluxe' trim name was now just called 'Regal.'

The base trim level was the Custom Line which was distinguished by its painted headlight and taillight trim rings. The Deluxe models had chrome headlights and taillight trim rings. The Regal had the chrome headlight and taillight trim rings, and stainless steel rocker panel moldings.

Total 1951 Studebaker Champion production reached 144,236 examples which accounted for nearly 59-percent of Studebaker's 246,195 sales.

by Dan Vaughan

Production of the Studebaker Champion began in 1939 and continued for nearly twenty years, ending in 1958 when it was replaced by the Studebaker Lark. The Studebaker Champion was a very important model because, at the time of its introduction, the Studebaker Company entered receivership. The Great Depression had taken its toll on the company and nearly forced it out of business. The success of the Studebaker Champion would determine the future of the Studebaker Company.

This was a new model for Studebaker. The design was new and did not borrow from any of its sibling automobiles; it was simple and clean. It was the work of Raymond Loewy. The selected amenities and components were appropriate. They had been chosen after doing research into what the public most desired in an automobile. Thought and planning continued into the automotive components, which were rather advanced from an engineering standpoint. Under the hood was a pushrod engine that provided suitable power to the very lightweight automobile. It was given awards by Mobilgas for its superior fuel economy. During World War II when fuel was rationed, the popularity of the Studebaker Champion was highly sought after.

The Studebaker Champion carried a sticker price of just $660 at the close of the 1930's. This very low price made the vehicle even more attractive and would go on to become one of the best-selling models for the Studebaker Company.

A new design was being prepared for 1947. In 1946 the Champion carried the same bodyshell as those of the pre-war Champions. They were designated Skyway Champion models.

A very low-priced Champion model was introduced in 1957 called the Champion Scotsman. The vehicle was void of any extra amenities and all that was left was the bare essentials. The purpose of the vehicle was to give customers a low-cost alternative and to better compete with the larger Automobile Manufacturers who were offering the same type of vehicle at a very low cost.

by Dan Vaughan