The Gran Turismo Hawk, aka GT Hawk, was the last iteration of the Studebaker Hawk series that began in the mid-1950s. It was the most elegant of the Hawks, with a front grille similar to the Mercedes and a roofline like a Ford Thunderbird. Built from 1962 to 1964, It only lasted until the company ceased automobile production in the U.S. This beautiful example is said to have been owned by a Studebaker restorer, so we assume it’s been renewed from head to toe. The big news is that the 289 Studebaker is gone, replaced by a 350 cubic inch V8, likely of GM origin. Located in Bulverde, Texas, this gold sweetheart is available here on eBay where $10,500 is not enough to crack the reserve.
For what would eventually become eight separate models, the 1956 Hawk was inspired by the ’55 Studebaker Speedster, a 2-door hardtop based on the President. Depending on the model and year, the cars were powered by either six or eight-cylinder engines and were sedans or hardtops. Looking to move the car upstream, designer Brook Stevens reworked the ’61 Hawk and transformed it into the elegant-looking Gran Turismo, abbreviated as GT Hawk. Production numbers were low, totaling less than 14,000 copies in under three years. That lack of demand likely prevented production of the car from migrating to Canada with the Lark.
This ’63 GT Hawk was part of a collection in San Antonio that the seller bought as the owner was getting too old to maintain the group. We’re told this was his/her personal favorite and treated to a 350 engine for reasons that aren’t known. It has an automatic transmission, but no mention is made if it was changed when the motor was. Overall, the vehicle runs well, thanks to some recent work: the cleansing of the fuel system, a rebuilding of the carburetor, and adding a new set of rubber donuts.
The body looks solid, and the gold paint is exceptional. Needless to say, the interior and glass are in equally great shape. The odometer reading is just 41,000 miles, which begs the question as to why the engine was swapped. A Studebaker 289 vs. a Chevy (?) 350 would make it more valuable, I would think. The seller has his/her own problems, a lack of space forcing the sale of this super Stude.
Why try to save a buck and destroy the originality of the car? Seems like it would be worth more with a correct or at least ‘date correct’ drive line and you would get your money right back.
I like it better than an Avanti.
Nice GT Hawk. Though the SBC engine swap scaifices originality, it would make for a better driver.
The Studebaker V-8 was durable, but it was heavy for its displacement. It had a reputation as an oil burner.
There are all sorts of speed equipment for the SBC, too.
You’d have to be a fan of a specific band from the 60’s and 70’s to understand this, but for over 50 years I’ve wanted one of these just so I could cruise down Van Nuys Blvd blasting Frank Zappa playing “Billy The Mountain”
“In between a pair of customized trucks……where no one was looking”…
The G.M. 350 trans would be a plus.
I remember my brothers ‘63 Hawk , white with blue interior. Recall that he said it was fairly quick from stoplight to stoplight.
Nice looking but that engine swap is a deal breaker for me.
More scoot always a bonus.
R.I.P. that super original Studebaker V-8 sound !!!!
Leave the damned thing alone!
lost me at dropped a sbc in it.
“It has an automatic transmission, but no mention is made if it was changed when the motor was.” well of course it was. do you honestly think that sbc was gonna just fit right up to the stude transmission???
other than that she is a beautiful piece of road machine
When all Studebaker production moved to Canada in ’64 They used small block Chevys hooked up to the Borg-Warner trans. with an adapter sourced from Checker (they were doing the same thing with the taxi cabs). But I doubt the swapper went that route. TH350 would be an upgrade.
New a guy back in the early 80’s in Greenville AL who had almost 100 cars, mostly Studebaker. Golden Hawk, Avanti, Lark with the suicide doors. One that looked like an early Nova, a couldn’t name them all. Wish I had the money back then to buy one or two. If he liked you, you could even get one cheap.
No larks were built in the South Bend factory with suicide doors. Last Studie with suicide doors were the 1952 sedans.
Sometimes you have to work with what’s available. At least the car is saved.
Just sold a ’62 GT Hawk with 289. Just bought a ’54 Conestoga Wagon with 232 V-8. Nothing like a Studebaker V-8! The 289 was a torque monster (with 4 speed), could stick it in 4th at 20mph and tool around all day. The 232 is smaller but smooth as silk! Had an oil leak in the 289 (fixed), the 232 seems to have none, despite having sat for 20+ years.
Frankenstude! Yeah lost me at SBC too. There is a real charm to the 259/289 idling with solid lifters. Lost me at the rubber gas lines and plastic filter too…
Russ,
The reason the Hawk and Avanti didn’t make the leap from South Bend to Ontario was because the Canadian assembly line only made Lark-based cars. The Hawk-based cars were made in a separate assembly line in South Bend, and the Avanti was made in a totally different South Bend facility that was eventually sold off to Newman & Altman, 2 Studebaker dealers who created the Avanti II.
I’ve read that the primary reason they made cars in Canada thru the 1966 model year is so various Studebaker dealers didn’t sue the company for not giving them advance notice of the closure decision in December ’64.
Well, I’ll tell ya’, I know what I hate,,and I don’t hate this. Okay, purists will scream bloody murder, but today, it seems, originality has gone by the wayside, and practical is in. We can argue all day on what was a better motor, splitting hairs in this case. Since Studebaker V8s aren’t exactly common, I think this is an okay swap. AutoPlace will have parts for a 350. A 289, not so much. I say, well done.
Howard,
I’ve worked on and owned many Studebakers over a 40 year period, and I’ve never had any problems getting mechanical parts, either using toll-free phone numbers or the internet, with few exceptions, everything is available.
At my local NAPA store, I can get Studebaker 289 engine parts just as easy as 283 Chevy or 289 Ford parts.
Sad to see that the original engine and transmission are gone. The GT Hawk were available with the McCullough/Paxton superchargers which were actually owned by Studebaker along with STP oil treatment, Wagner Electric (maker of headlights etc,) Gravely Lawn Equipment, and other companies that stayed in business after the quit making cars.
Todd,
Thanks for the comment. Today many people don’t realize Studebaker was a fairly large conglomeration of manufacturers. As part of my Studebaker & Packard collections, my car shop had a Gravely tractor, and our shop tire changing machine was made by Big 4, again a Studebaker company. It had an oval sticker on the side that said “Big 4, division of Studebaker Corp.” and the tractor had a metal VIN plate that said “Gravely, Dunbar W. Va, Division of Studebaker Corp.”. I still have a very early can of STP, it’s label indicates the 3 letters “STP” stand for Studebaker Treatment for Petroleum”.
I’ve got one of those Big 4 manual tire machines with a air operated bead breaker. It will give you a workout!
I’ve always loved the Lowey coupes that turned into the Hawk. Missed out on one a few years back that was also small Chevy swapped.
If George Mason had of lived a while longer, Studebaker would have became part of American Motors. They were in supposedly serious talks until Mason died, then pulled out. We might have had Studebaker into the 80’s if that had of worked out.
Bama,
Recently published information finally puts to rest the idea of the Studebaker-Packard-Nash-Hudson Merger. It was never going to happen.
It was about 1950 that Mason approached Packard about a merger, but Packard, after considering the offer, elected to do nothing. It wasn’t until several years later, after Packard bought Studebaker, that the idea was approached again.
That second round overture was from James Nance, CEO of Studebaker-Packard, but by then Nash had merged with Hudson to form AMC. Mason was already gone and replaced by George Romney, who wasn’t interested. AMC and S-P did work out some minor agreements to sell or make parts & sub-assemblies, but nothing more ever happened.
To read about the actual situation as it unfolded almost on a daily basis, I suggest one read Stuart Blond’s new 2-vol book; Spellbinder.
As to the Big 4 tire machine, yep, it was a handful to use, but it was one of the few units [in the late 1970s] that was both air powered and accepted larger rims found on antique cars.
I’ve always said there are 2 things in the world that will introduce you to friends you never knew you had: A pickup truck and a tire machine!
I don’t get all the hatred aimed at the engine swap. It seems like it would be a nice upgrade on a driver-quality vehicle like this one. Besides, two model years later, all Studebakers would use Chevrolet engines.
CCFisher,
Technically you are sort of right, but the ’65 & ’66 Studebaker engines were made in a factory in Canada that built various GM engines, that were based on similar car-based engines.
A 1965-66 Chevy engine will not directly fit into a Studebaker without various modifications.