Trevor Pawloske is a big fan of the late great Studebaker brand.
In fact this 1960 Studebaker Champ is one of several from Trevor’s collection of project and donor Studeys.
“The little car company that could” survived against big odds for a very long time, but ran out the string in 1966 when it shut the doors on its Hamilton Ontario plant, three years after the last Studey left the company’s South Bend, Indiana factory.
What started as a wagon company in 1852 ended life as a car company with a small budget and a big imagination in 1966. Trevor’s 1960 Champ is a good example of the ingenuity of Studebaker because it is essentially a Studebaker Lark automobile with a truck bed.
They simply cut behind the driver seat and welded in a metal panel with a window on the Larks.
It was the most cost effective way for Studebaker to retool its outdated truck look for the new Champ models and it is part of the folklore from the history of the plucky little car company.
Trevor’s Champ was a six-cylinder in its original form, but the first owner wanted more power and heavier rear springs so he could put a 10 ½ foot camper on the truck. He turned it into a serious truck with his alterations.
Trevor spends a fair amount of time behind the wheel of his Champ during the summer months and works on a 1949 Studebaker during his spare time.
We congratulate him for his dedication to a famous departed car brand with an amazing history.
Jim Sutherland
More stories at-https://www.mystarcollectorcar.com/
