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A picture of my Uncle Don taken in Franklin, NC in 1953. View full size.
Contrary to the previous post, this is a 1950 Studebaker Champion, not a Commander. The Commander (and top-of-the-line Land Cruiser) both had slightly different front sheetmetal (longer than the champion, with larger, more oval, head/parking light trim. All three models were available with painted or chromed head/parking light trim, depending on the build date.
The chrome trim rings around the headlights reveal this '50 was a Commander. Base prices ran from $1,871 (Deluxe 2-dr sedan) to $2,187 for the longer-wheelbase Land Cruiser and $2,328 for the convertible.
The less expensive Champion series was shorter, had a smaller engine (both lines were sixes), and ranged in price from $1,419 (2-door business coupe) to $1,676. The convertible tacked on about $200 more.
As a comparison, a '50 Chevy could be had for as little as $1,329.
1950 was Studebaker's best sales year, with 320,884 units, placing them ninth in the industry. Chevrolet sold 1,321,535 that year... Ford sold 1,206,739, if my math is correct.
I hope that Studebaker wasn't loaded.
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