Struggling to compete with the Big Three, Studebaker stripped this Champion down to the bone for 1957 and sold it as the no-frills "Champion Scotsman."
Median 85 hp across 139 similar cars
Lead trim: Champion 185 cu in L-head I6 (101 hp) · up to 210 hp
Studebaker Champion1957–1958
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Studebaker Champion yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactStruggling to compete with the Big Three, Studebaker stripped this Champion down to the bone for 1957 and sold it as the no-frills "Champion Scotsman."
In 1957 the stripped-down Champion Scotsman (soon just the Studebaker Scotsman) was introduced to compete with the Big Three and Nash in the low-price field; the fifth-generation Champion (2- and 4-door sedans, coupe, 4-door wagon and 2-door convertible) offered two engines, a 185 cu in (3.0 L) 101 hp "Sweepstakes" L-head I6 or a 289 cu in (4.7 L) 210 hp "Sweepstakes" OHV V8. Sedans and station wagons: wheelbase 116.5 in, length 202.4 in, width 75.8 in.
Collectors Spotted in the Studebaker Champion Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Studebaker Champion yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion 185 cu in L-head I6 (101 hp) | 1957–1958 | 3.0 L Inline-6 | 101 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Champion 289 cu in OHV V8 (210 hp) | 1957–1958 | 4.7 L V8 | 210 hp | 292 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Struggling to compete with the Big Three, Studebaker stripped this Champion down to the bone for 1957 and sold it as the no-frills "Champion Scotsman."
The Loewy-styled Champion's slippery shape made it a hit at the salt flats — racers ran it both stock and with chopped, channeled bodies at Bonneville chasing land-speed records.
The Champion coupe's wraparound "greenhouse" rear window started as a quiet option — it caught on so well Studebaker gave it its own name, the Starlight coupe.
Studebaker's humble Champion engine went to war: from 1943 to 1945 it powered the M29 Weasel, the military's tracked snow-and-swamp carrier, which even borrowed the Champion's own leaf springs for its suspension.
Studebaker's frugal Champion didn't stay civilian forever: from 1943 to 1945 its engine — and four sets of its leaf springs — powered the M29 Weasel, a WWII snow-and-swamp personnel carrier.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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