1950 Studebaker Champion 'Bullet Nose' Sedan

Description

First seen in May 1946 as a 1947 model year, the new Champion was Studebaker's first new post-war offering and had up to the minute styling by the talented team of Raymond Loewy and Virgil Exner, building on the success of the original 1939 Champion. In order to liven up sales, Studebaker's Model 9G Champion for 1950 featured radical new styling features dubbed ?The Next Look?, including the signature ?bullet-nose? front and more pronounced rear fins. Under the skin, all Champions came with Studebaker's sturdy 170-cid in-line six under the bonnet, developing 85 horsepower, and sat on a compact 113-inch wheelbase. New double A-arm front suspension with tubular shock absorbers mounted inside ?long-travel? coil springs were a big improvement, as was the option of Automatic Drive transmission on certain 1950 Studebakers. Available in three distinct lines for 1950, including the base Custom, intermediate Deluxe and more expensive Regal Deluxe, the Champion was offered in both two and four-door sedan variations, along with a two-door coupe and a full convertible. Demand for the new model exceeded Studebaker's expectations and the plants in South Bend, Indiana (and Southern California and in Hamilton, Ontario) were all operating at full capacity, turning out a record 343,164 cars for the 1950 model year and dealers reported packed showrooms packed with crowds all across the country.