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.

The styling of the 1947 Champion featured flat front fenders, a new rear wraparound window, rounded body lines, partially covered rear wheels, and rear fenders that extended further outwards than the rest of the body. The work was courtesy of Raymond Loewy and Virgil Exner and was both sporty and elegant. The Deluxe trim level included a two- and four-door sedan, and a three- and five-passenger coupe. The Regal Deluxe Line offered all the body styles of the Deluxe, plus a convertible.

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 Champion 'Custom' was priced at $1,735, and the starlight coupe listed for $1,760 and the sedan at $1,770. The sedan was the most popular with 6,400 examples built, followed by 4,310 of the two-door sedan and 1,096 of the starlight coupe.

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 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