1951 Studebaker Champion

170 CI Flathead Six

GI027598

Clear

Gasoline

1951 Studebaker Champion Business Coupe Up for auction this week is a beautiful '51 Studebaker Champion Coupe. This particular car is an exceptionally nice, low mileage, rust free car that needs very little improvement. It was sold new in Nebraska, and spent most of its life in that part of the country. In the early 1990's, it was purchased by a gentleman here in the Atlanta, Georgia area. He proceeded to repaint the car the Ford Probe Blue that you see on it now. The car had never been wrecked or rusted, so body work was minimal. The paint isn't perfect, but it has held up exceptionally well over the years and still shines up and looks very nice. Aside from the paint job, the owner at that time left the rest of the car untouched. About fifteen years ago, another Atlanta Studebaker Enthusiast, Tom Elliott, found out about the car and set out to purchase it. Tom's first car was a '51 Champion, and he owned that car until shortly before his passing in May of 2011. Tom spent his adult life collecting up NOS parts for these cars, researching them as much as possible, as well as owning nearly a dozen '51's over the years. At the time of his passing, this lone Business Coupe was the only Studebaker left, and up until now, his wife hasn't wanted to sell it. She now realizes that it isn't practical for her to own such a car, and so it's listed here in hopes of finding a rightful, appreciative caretaker for one of Tom's most prized possessions. Tom did quite a bit of work on the car during his 15 years of ownership. This coupe started life as a plain-jane, base model car. Tom added nearly every factory approved option that he could find. All of the accessories, emblems, and chrome components are NOS. Yes, I do mean all of them. The stainless pieces such as the gravel guards and door handles have been professionally polished. All of the chrome is show-quality and really adds to the overall appeal of the car. As you can see, this car has more than enough "curb appeal", and gets compliments and 'thumbs up's every time I take it out. I've driven it 2-3 times per month, at least, since Tom's passing in 2011 and the car has always performed flawlessly. Everyone loves it and it drives just as nice as it looks. But that's what you'd expect from an unrestored, low mileage, rust free Studebaker such as this. As you can see, the firewall and inner fenders could use a little touching up. Aside from that, everything else is quite presentable. Last year, the engine was painted and a full tune-up was performed. The carburetor was also replaced with a re-manufactured one. The fuel tank was cleaned and lined as well, and since that time the car has always ran flawlessly. It always starts right up and has never missed a beat. The wiring harness is showing its age and really should be replaced. The engine runs strong for one that has never been rebuilt. It could use a minor valve adjustment as they aren't as quiet as they should be, and the valve seals are in need of replacement. The engine does leak its fair share of oil, but that's to be expected on an original engine. The Detroit Gear Automatic transmission is also in perfect operating condition. That said, a professionally rebuilt spare engine and trans can be purchased separately if the winning bidder chooses. The car's interior is probably its weakest point, and even it isn't bad. The seat upholstery and headliner are both original and in great shape with no tears. The door panels, rear package shelf, and curtains behind the seat were replaced with a brown Naugahyde sometime during the car's past. The door handles and window cranks are either NOS or high quality rechrome. All of the gauges work with the exception of the fuel gauge, and I believe that to be a ground problem. I do have a complete set of NOS gauges that will go with the car. The speedometer has already been replaced with NOS. The clock is also NOS, but has never been wired up. All of the dash lights work fine, including the accessory lights underneath the dash board. Why, it even comes with a full box of tissues! Even the radio is an NOS unit! Most of these cars lost their glove box service inserts decades ago. The fact that the original is still in this car is a testament to the utmost care that it has always been given. I don't usually use the term "rust free", but the pictures of the floor and trunk pan really speak for themselves. If any potential buyers have questions about anything, or want to come see the car in person, feel free to message me through eBay. If you give me your number I can call at your convenience. The car is being sold as is, where is, with no warranty implied. A non-refundable $500 deposit is due via Paypal within 48 hours of the auction ending, with the remainder to be paid in full within 3 week days. Thanks for looking!