Studebaker's New 1939 Champion Model
The Studebaker Champion featured in the advertisement above debuted for the 1939 model year. Its Wikipedia entry is here , and mentions that styling was done under the supervision of Raymond Loewy. The Champion was designed with the goal of being a light-weight car in the main American entry-level marketplace. Here are some statistical comparisons. Its wheelbase was 110 inches (2794 mm), whereas Chevrolets and Fords had wheelbases of around 112 inches (2845 mm), and Plymouth wheelbases were longer yet by about the same margin. A four-door Champion weighed about 2300 pounds (1035 kg), while Ford, Plymouth and Chevy four-doors weighed in the neighborhood of 2850 pounds (1282 kg). Champion motors had the least horsepower (78) while the others were Chevrolet (85), Plymouth (82 or 86), and Ford (60 or 80, 80 being the norm). Ratios of pounds per horsepower are: Champion (29.5), Chevrolet (32.9), Plymouth 86 (33.7). The Willys Overland, in the next smaller size...