1948 Studebaker Champion Convertible

Though lacking the distinctive “Starlight’ wraparound rear window of its coupe

stablemate, arguably the most striking design theme of the entire new Studebaker

model line, this 1948 Champion convertible remains a fabulous looking car from any

angle.

It’s a small miracle that such cohesive and influential shapes rose from the ashes of a

bitter, convoluted internal battle involving design giants Gordon Buehrig, Raymond

Loewy, and Virgil Exner, among others.

Though unquestionably a transformative design, these cars did show vestigial traces of

separate, pontoon-type fenders that had largely defined automotive design in prewar

times, albeit with an avant garde forward lean very similar to that employed by the 1948

Tucker Torpedo.

The car’s color, listed as Tulip Cream in period factory literature, suits it to a tee, and

contrasts well with wide whitewall tires, red wheels, and polished full-moon hubcaps.

Pay careful attention to the wheel openings; though not as obvious, the fronts showcase

an equally considered design to the semi-spatted rears.

The car’s black convertible top stows neatly beneath a matching snap-on tonneau,

revealing yards of enticing red vinyl upholstery covering the front and rear bench seats,

door cards, and rear side panels. Note the Art Deco style stamped steel trim caps on

the seat posts, door bottoms, and continued across the full width of the dashboard.

A raised, rectangular shape with rounded corners is home to the instrument panel and

single, egg crate speaker grille. A large, central clock is flanked on the left by a

combination coolant temp, oil pressure, ammeter, and fuel level gauge, and on the right

by a 100 mph speedometer. Though an early automatic transmission was available, this

car is better off equipped with the standard column-shift 3-speed manual.

Though the car looks bone-stock from all other perspectives, a quick glance under the

hood draws immediate attention to a finned aluminum head and twin-carb intake

manifold, both made by SoCal’s famous Eddie Edmunds Custom. The latter is topped

with a pair of Carter carbs, and all combined, these very cool period hop-ups should

help net a registerable bump in power over the 170ci six’s factory 80 hp rating.

The vehicle is offered without known history.

Stylish but straightforward, handsome but humble, early postwar Studebakers make a

compelling case to drivers looking for low-stress weekend cruisers. This one’s drop top

and ample stretch-out space makes it a natural candidate for al fresco summer touring

with the family, and its era-correct speed parts would make it a welcome sight at hot rod

and custom shows, too.