Studebaker Champ
The Studebaker Champ was a lightweight pickup model manufactured by the Studebaker Corporation from 1960 to 1964.
The Studebaker pickups hadn't undergone any major overhauls for over ten years, the company was no longer doing well due to falling sales, and so the new model had to be assembled from existing components.
The chassis and loading structure of the Champ were basically the same as those used on Studebaker's 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trucks since 1949, but the cab was very different from that of its predecessor. The company's annual cash flow problems made it impossible to afford a completely new cab, so the engineers polished up a design based on the Lark car by cutting it off at the B-pillar and attaching it to the truck. Adjust the chassis. The snout of the Lark was also taken over, but money was invested in a new radiator grille with horizontal bars that looked "tough".
drive
Studebaker equipped the Champ with engines that have been in the range for a long time. In 1960, buyers were able to choose between the last side-controlled six-cylinder engines: the smaller one with 2786 cc and 90 bhp (66 kW) and the larger "Big Six" with 4015 cc and 110 bhp (81 kW). In 1961, the smaller machine was upgraded with overhead valves, making it 22 bhp and now 112 bhp (82.4 kW). Thus Studebaker could take the old Big Six out of the program.
The new OHV six-cylinder was redesigned, but as far as possible contained components from the old engine introduced in 1939. The machine got a bad reputation because the cylinder head cracked on some copies. The problem most commonly encountered with engines whose valves were not properly adjusted was never entirely resolved. But with the right care, these engines could last well over 40 years.
From the beginning there were two V8 engines, 4244 cm³ and 4736 cm³, equipped with either double or quadruple carburettors. Both machines were not significantly changed during the Champ's production period.
There was also a wide range of gearboxes available for the Champ, be it manual or automatic. The basic models had a three-speed gearbox with a steering wheel ("three on tree"). You could either choose an overdrive or have a four or five-speed gearbox installed. In addition, the “Flight-O-Matic” from BorgWarner was available as an automatic transmission.
1960-1964
Despite the "cobbled together" construction, the truck sold passably in 1960 as the 5E series.
In 1961 (6E series) a closed body across the entire width of the vehicle - the "Spaceside" - was also offered; the tools for this were purchased from Dodge . However, this did not boost sales, nor did the new OHV version of the 2.8-liter engine, which was known for the cracks in the cylinder head.
In 1962 (7E series) and 1963 (8E series), Champ was built without major changes, and the few examples that were made in 1964 belonged to the 8E series of the previous year. In December 1963, management announced the closure of the South Bend , Indiana factory and the trucks were no longer manufactured at the Hamilton , Ontario car plant .
A pioneer among trucks
Little attention is paid to the fact that the Champ was the first to have a detail that almost every modern pickup offers today: the opening rear window, which was already available in the Champ from the start of production and which was very popular with buyers. It was later copied by the larger truck manufacturers.
Even if the champ was unable to save Studebaker's truck production, he still showed the way to a pickup of reasonable size, a merit that Dodge attributed to the Dakota , a medium-sized truck. But this model was introduced in 1987, 27 years after the Champ.
Collectibles
Champs that still exist today are dearly traded because of their interesting combination of comfort of a passenger car and mechanical robustness and reliability (apart from the problem of the six-cylinder engine described above). The Champ shares one disadvantage with other Studebaker models: the grate. The floor of the cab and the front fenders of the Champ are particularly rusty.
Trivia
- Contrary to the practice of other pickups of the 1960s in America, the Champ was never offered with power steering, although this equipment was built into the heavier Studebaker Transtar and diesel models. The last 8E models from 1963/1964 had an improved steering system with reduced friction and thus lower steering forces, but not as much as power steering would have. However, in the early 1960s, power steering was not yet common in light trucks, so it was not a competitive disadvantage for Studebaker not to offer this option.
- Studebaker did not offer air conditioning ex works in the Champ until model year 1963 either.
- The Champ was probably the first truck with a factory-made fiberglass body. It was introduced in the very short model year 1964 and only a handful of them were made.
