1961 Studebaker Champion

1961 Studebaker Champ Pickup Buoyed by the extraordinary popularity of the 1959 Larks, (139,024 built), Studebaker frantically tooled up a restyled line of light duty trucks for 1960, its first since mid1948. The 1959 Lark front end sheet metal and the front half of the 4 door sedan body were grafted onto slightly modified ½ ton and ¾ ton truck chassis and beds to form the basis of a new line of trucks given the name Champ. 1959's dreadful truck sales experience and a desire to use what steel was available to build the fast selling Larks delayed the production of 1960 model 5E Series trucks, which did not get started until February 1960. Thx to the studebakerdriversclub.com    For consignment, a 1961 Studebaker Champ pickup showing 2,023 miles, but the true miles are unknown. This truck has been restored with originality in mind, achieved, according to our consignor, to a 99% level.  Exterior Two stage Apache Red coats this truck, a lovely color for this Lark fronted pickup truck that was intended to compete with the Ford Ranchero and Chevy El Camino at the time. As such, it has a relatively long bed which extends well past the rear axle. The trapezoidal grille is flanked by side markers that mirror the horizontal bars of the grille on a smaller scale and contour to the lines of the grille on one side and the round headlights on the other. The hood also contours, this time to the shape of the grille, with a slight rise in the middle capped off by a hood ornament that depicts a jet, and you don't want to be on the wrong side of it on the street. Proper Studebaker wheel covers are on the 15-inch red wheels wrapped in white wall tires. The paint and metal work are near excellent on the truck and imperfections are limited to a scratch a the tail light panel near the rear bumper. Interior With a conservatively styled exterior, we gain some flash on the inside as geometric patterns of red and black vinyl along with an aluminum panel that make up the door panels. The bench seat presents with red stitched inserts surrounded by black vinyl and is in great shape, with only minor compression shown. The standard steering shows some story telling patina, while the stitched black dash pad appears fresh and under it, a body colored metal dash housing a small meshed gauge pod and several knobs, all a working truck would need in 1961. An AM radio lives in the middle of the dash just above a glove box and ahead of the passenger, a round mesh feature on the dash is home to a speaker. The floor is covered with a low pile back carpet, the headliner with a perforated piece, and a large rear window affords great over the shoulder visibility and views of the black painted bed.  Drivetrain The bay holds a clean 259ci V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor and a horsepower rating of 145. It's backed by a 3-speed manual that routes power to a Dana 44 rear axle with 4.09 gears.  Undercarriage Super clean underneath with minimal surface rust and no leaks. The dual exhaust comes from the engine and meets a pair of FlowMaster mufflers before finding their way to terminating in the back. Leaf spring suspension is used front and back and drum brakes are also found at both ends.  Drive-Ability We found the truck to be a good runner, offering smooth and straight tracking, plenty of good visibility, and more than enough power underfoot. The low beams are not working and the amp light goes on when we hit the headlights. Meanwhile, all other functions operate as they should on this simple, and simply awesome Studebaker. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.          If you think Corvette owners are fanatical, wait until you meet the Studebaker club. This group of orphan enthusiasts represent an incredible knowledge base and resource for all things Studebaker.  It's a well loved brand