"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 -ton and -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 1960 Studebaker Champ pickup truck that recently was subject to a frame off restoration and has just 2,049 miles since its completion, and was once owned, according to our consignor, by a Studebaker factory employee.
Exterior Two stage Inferno Red Crystal Pearl 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. That bed is lined with a fitted rubber mat and houses a diamond steel toolbox that hugs the cab side of the bed, and all is clean in the back. The rectangular 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 resembles a thin trowel, 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 wheels and a pair of cab roof lights point to the outer corner of the top. The paint and metal work are near excellent on the truck. A few imperfections we noted include some bubbling on the paint, a ding, and some missing paint with surface rust near a 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, adorned with red seatbelts. The standard steering wheel is wrapped with aftermarket vinyl around the rim and the vinyl dash pad before it shows looseness in the padding. Under it, a body colored metal dash housing a small meshed gauge pod and several knobs, all a working truck would need in 1960. A Sanyo AM/FM/Cassette radio lives in the middle of the dash just above Studebaker's "TT" emblem which indicated Twin Traction, Studebaker's version of positraction. Ahead of the passenger, a round mesh feature on the dash is home to a simple round clock. The floor is covered with a low pile back carpet and the black headliner above is clean and tight. A large rear window affords great over the shoulder visibility and allows plenty of light in the cab.
Drivetrain Under the hood we find the clean and rebuilt 259ci V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor and rated at 145 horsepower. A 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive backs it up and is shifted on the tree, sending power to the rear axle with a Dana 44 and 4.09 gears. Drum brakes occupy each corner.
Undercarriage Super clean underneath with minimal surface rust and no leaks. The dual exhaust comes from the engine and meets a pair of Smithy mufflers before finding their way out the back through straight pipes. Leaf spring suspension is used front and back while we observed no leaks and no grease build up.
Drive-Ability We hopped inside this good looking truck and enjoyed the simplicity of the cab as we rolled onto the tarmac and put it to the test. The V8 puts out more than enough power, at least with an empty bed, and the truck tracks joyfully straight and runs without hiccups. Two non functioning items were found; the horn, which activates the relay, but no sound is produced, and the brake lights. Beyond that all functions were operable. 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 that has its fandom, a branch of which had their meet here in Morgantown not long ago and demonstrated a loyalty you don't often see in defunct marques. Enter that world with this fine 1960 pickup, fully restored, and ready for a new garage home.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
