The Champion had many factors going for it: it had a very low price, it was very reliable with a newly designed engine, and it had styling that stood out from the rest of the market and was well-received by the American public. Those factors combined to make the Champion the best selling Studebaker for much of the duration of its lifespan.

Thanks in large part to its light weight, the Champion was one of the most fuel efficient cars of its era. That helped make the car very popular during World War II, when gasoline was rationed throughout the country. Many of the parts from the car were also being used by the United States military during the war, who found the new designs on many parts to be superior to the old stuff they were using.

The Champion built in 1946 as 1947 models were all named the Skyway Champion. Another variation on the car came in 1957, when Studebaker decided that they were getting beat in the economy car market by Nash and other cheap car makers. They built the Champion Scotsman as a cheaper version of the Champion. I wonder what they were trying to imply about Scotsman with that name on such a cheap car.

There are a few places you can go to buy a Studebaker Champion. The first place I check is on eBay. You can also review the latest Hemmings classifieds or Auto Trader. There are also lots of parts listings on eBay Auctions.