1954 Studebaker COUPÉ Champion 
Originally sold in France

35 000 € of invoices …
Description

1954 Studebaker COUPÉ Champion

Originally sold in France 35 000 € of invoices between 2013 and 2020 Chevrolet V8 developing nearly 500 hp! French historic registration title Chassis n° GI309247 Little known in Europe, the Studebaker brand is nevertheless one of the automotive pioneers in the USA. The first cars were produced in 1902 and the brand quit in 1966, due to a lack of resources to invest in research and development. In the meantime, many models were produced, including the Champion, the first version of which rolled off the production line in 1939. In total, five generations of Studebaker Champion were successively produced until 1958, in all body styles. Powered by a 6-cylinder in-line engine and then by a 4.7-litre V8 at the end of its career, the Studebaker is not a car intended for competition. And yet... In 1954, a Turkish crew participated in the Tour de France automobile and much later in the late 1980s, the Studebaker Champion Coupe became the star car of the famous Carrera Panamericana which it won several times and in which it still performs today. The Champion Coupe presented here has an interesting history. Sold in France by the importer Emile Dujardin, the Studebaker brand remains however rather confidential. Few examples were imported and fewer even are those which remain to this day. This one is one of them, registered in Herault in 1954. This Cham pion Coupe will remain the property of the same family until 2013! Its current second owner decided to undertake a major restoration project to enter it in the Tour Auto, which had never hosted a Studebaker since the sole participation of the Turkish crew in 1954. The story is beautiful, and the project, accepted by Patrick Peter, is born when this famous Studebaker takes the start of the Tour Auto 2014, 2017 and 2019. Its owner will even take it to the second step of the podium for its second appearance on the Tour, only 6 seconds behind the winner of the VHRS category. A true racing beast, it is equipped with a Chevrolet V8 developing nearly 500 hp... The preparation obviously does not stop at the engine, and a total of more than €135,000 justified on invoices has been invested in the preparation of this car between 2013 and today. There is no equivalent in France: this is a truly exceptional car. Eligible for the Tour Auto, the «Stude» as its current owner likes to call it, is ready to take the road. Easy to drive despite its spectacular dimensions, this car is an exotic ticket to historical competitions.

57 

1954 Studebaker COUPÉ Champion

Auction is over for this lot. See the results