STUDEBAKER

Champ

The Studebaker Champ was a light-duty pickup truck produced by the Studebaker Corporation from 1960-1964. Designed at a time when Studebaker's truck line had not seen major upgrading in over 10 years, the company, which had endured years of declining sales, was forced to use a number of existing components. The chassis and cargo box of the Champ were basically the same as what had been used for Studebaker's ½ and ¾-ton trucks since 1949, but the cab section was very different. An entirely new cab was out of the question because of cost considerations, but the new Lark compact car's body proved to be just the right size and shape to suit the purpose. The engineering staff took a four-door sedan, cut it in half behind the front doors and modified the front half slightly to fit the truck chassis. The only new sheetmetal stamping that was required was the back wall of the new cab. Minor modifications for mounting of the cab to the 1949-vintage truck frame were also made. The Lark's front end sheetmetal was retained as well, but funds were allocated to give the Champ a new horizontal-bar grille that delivered a "tougher" look.