Power
Studebaker equipped the Champ with engines that had served well in the company's lineup for years. Buyers in 1960 could choose the last of the company's flathead sixes, either the Lark's 170 in³ (90 hp (67 kW)) or the time-honored 245 in³ "Big Six" (110 hp (82 kW)) which dated to the early 1930s.
The 170 engine was upgraded to overhead valves (OHV) for 1961, gaining 22 hp (16 kW) in the process (up to 112 hp (84 kW)), enough of an improvement that Studebaker saw fit to finally discontinue the Big Six.
The new OHV six was a novel design, retaining as many existing components as possible while modernizing an engine that had been introduced in 1939. Unfortunately, the little engine's quality came into question early on, with a number of engines developing cracks in the cylinder head. The problem, which occurred most often in engines that had improperly-adjusted valves, was never completely solved, but with proper care, the 170 remains a serviceable engine for many owners more than 40 years after it went out of production.
From the start of production, those desiring V8 power could choose between Studebaker's 259- and 289 in³ engines with either a two- or four-barrel carburetor. Both engines remained largely unchanged during the Champ's production run.
A wide variety of transmissions, both manual and automatic, were available in Champs. Base models came with a three-speed column shifted manual (AKA: 3 on the tree), with four- and five-speeds optional, as well as overdrive (with the three-speed). Studebaker's Flight-O-Matic (built by Borg-Warner) was the automatic option.
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