The Champion Everyone Somehow Forgot

You know, back in 1951, if you spotted a Studebaker Champion, you couldn’t ignore it. This little independent automaker built a car that looked like it landed from the future. That famous bullet nose was inspired by aircraft design, while the wraparound Starlight rear window was so unusual people joked they couldn’t tell if the car was coming or going. Under the hood was just an 85-horsepower inline-six, but thanks to its lightweight construction and slippery aerodynamics, it could deliver nearly 28 mpg, remarkable for the era. It wasn’t the fastest car on the road, but it proved innovation beats size every time.