This little truck is exactly what the world needs these days.
One favorite pastime of certain individuals is to complain about the bloated sizes of modern pickups. That doesn’t mean there isn’t reason to gripe, because driving a truck nowadays is more akin to driving the short bus everywhere. You’ll have way more fun with this 1962 Studebaker Champion Pickup, which is just a straightforward utilitarian machine.
If you haven’t seen one of these Studebakers kicking around before, you’re forgiven. They’re quite rare, so finding one for sale in such good condition is a real treat. After all, the Red paint shines up quite well and the body panels appear to be free of any rust. You also get those nice White bumpers and chrome trim applied in such unique ways there’s no mistaking this for a GM or Ford. Steel wheels painted White and chrome dog dish hubcaps keep the original look alive.
There’s also a six-foot bed, so loading up all kinds of car parts, furniture, or whatever else you need to transport isn’t a problem. And to think, that’s accomplished without making this truck a behemoth. Plus, you don’t have to hoist heavy items much at all to get them onto the tailgate, which is just smarter.
Most people wouldn’t expect a Red interior to match the exterior, but that’s exactly what you get with this Champ. The vinyl on the seats and the paint on the dash look great, as does the Black dash topper and carpeting. All the original instruments, the factory steering wheel, and an OE radio really transport you back to the early 1960s. A black plastic console has been added to the floor at about midway in front of the bench seat, so you get two cupholders and somewhere to throw change, plus it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Under the hood is a 170ci flathead six-cylinder. You control it with a three-speed manual transmission. The engine and transmission have been rebuilt, while the wiring and brakes on this truck are new. That means you can drive this truck all over with confidence, instead of worrying it’s going to break down and leave you stranded.
Since there aren’t too many of these vehicles around today, one in such good condition is a real find. As the years pass on this will no doubt become even more of a rarity. If you decide this would be a good addition to your garage, know it’s going to be crossing the auction block through Premier Auction Group, so you’ll need to register to bid on it.
