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Archaeologist trying to Identify Car - READ ONLY

14 messages,  Last post on Jun 01, 2011 at 6:31 PM

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#1 of 14 Archaeologist trying to Identify Car by mjolle

May 31, 2011 (2:07 pm)

I located several body panels to a car while in the field recently and have hit a wall trying to properly identify it. One body panel, most likely the trunk door, had the word "Champ" in 50's-60's type cursive on it. That is really all I have to go on. A web search found a version of the Mitsubishi Lancer made by Plymouth in the 80's, but that is far too recent for this component. The panels appear to be from an older model car, not a hatch-back. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

#2 of 14 Re: Archaeologist trying to Identify Car [mjolle] by fintail

May 31, 2011 (2:26 pm)

Replying to: mjolle (May 31, 2011 2:07 pm)
Most likely candidate I can think of is an early 60s Studebaker pickup:
 

#3 of 14 Re: Archaeologist trying to Identify Car [fintail] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

May 31, 2011 (2:35 pm)

Replying to: fintail (May 31, 2011 2:26 pm)
Is it possible that some of the cursive script could have broken off, and that it once read "Champion"? If that's the case, then a Studebaker is by far your most likely candidate, as Mr. fintail suggests. Studebaker used the Champion name for many years.
 
Do you have a photo you can post?

#4 of 14 Re: Archaeologist trying to Identify Car [Mr_Shiftright] by mjolle

May 31, 2011 (2:41 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (May 31, 2011 2:35 pm)
It may be possible that it is the Studebaker pickup. Are you familiar with what panel that would have come off of? Champ had a rivet hole on the "C" and the "p", but nothing further on. It is unlikely that the name plate would not be fixed at the end by a rivet. This leads me to believe that it was a "Champ" and not Champion. My only reservation with the pickup is that the panel looked as though it was from a trunk door not a tailgate.

#5 of 14 Re: Archaeologist trying to Identify Car [mjolle] by mac24

May 31, 2011 (9:15 pm)

Replying to: mjolle (May 31, 2011 2:41 pm)
One vehicle you can positively rule out, is the Rolls Royce engined Austin Champ!

#6 of 14 Re: Archaeologist trying to Identify Car [mac24] by uplanderguy

Jun 01, 2011 (6:17 am)

Replying to: mac24 (May 31, 2011 9:15 pm)
I honestly cannot think of a Studebaker Champion from the '40's or '50's (last model year was '58), that had any cursive "Champion" nameplate on the decklid. Earlier ones had a printed "Champion" nameplate on the trunk handle, and later '50's models had only "Studebaker" across the trunk lid.
 
That "Champ" pickup nameplate was only on the front doors. Like everybody else, Stude trucks had "Studebaker" in painted letters across the tailgate.

#7 of 14 Re: Archaeologist trying to Identify Car [uplanderguy] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 01, 2011 (7:30 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Jun 01, 2011 6:17 am)
That's why I asked him if the script was actually broken or if we could see a picture of the panel. The description, otherwise, doesn't seem to add up.
 
I think there was a rather obscure German minicar called a Champion, but odds of it being that are astronomically small.
 
It could also be part of a dealer's name. Back in the day, you did find dealer's names in chrome script.

#8 of 14 Re: Archaeologist trying to Identify Car [Mr_Shiftright] by mjolle

Jun 01, 2011 (7:57 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 01, 2011 7:30 am)

 
Here is a photo. The pickup sounds better and better. How about the trunk of a '41 Studebacker? Or was that a 'Champion'?

#9 of 14 Re: Archaeologist trying to Identify Car [mjolle] by texases

Jun 01, 2011 (8:05 am)

Replying to: mjolle (Jun 01, 2011 7:57 am)
Any way to see a picture of the whole panel? We'd get you an aswer real quick!

#10 of 14 Re: Archaeologist trying to Identify Car [mjolle] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 01, 2011 (8:08 am)

Replying to: mjolle (Jun 01, 2011 7:57 am)
This is from a 60s Stude pickup:

Messages Page 1 of 2

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