As an independent automaker without deep pockets, Studebaker got a lot of mileage out of its engineering and design. For example, what began as the Champion/Commander in 1953 became a variety of Hawks in 1956 and finally the Gran Turismo in 1962. This 1960 version of the Hawk looks to be a beautiful survivor and part of a collection of other vintage cars. The seller doesn’t have time for the Studebaker anymore, so it’s available in Evansville, Indiana, and here on eBay where the bidding has reached $10,100. A beautiful car that is brought to our attention by Barn Finder Larry D!
The Hawk was born when famed Studebaker consultant Raymond Loewy took his previous designs and revised their styling to receive a squared-off grille and rear section that would or would not have tailfins. Whether they were coupes or hardtops, the trim levels included the Flight Hawk, Power Hawk, Silver Hawk, Golden Hawk, and finally just “Hawk.” The 1960 Hawk was a pillared coupe that had a six-cylinder engine for export models and a choice of two V8s for the North American market, either a 259 or 289 cubic inch engine.
This Hawk is one of 4,280 V8 models that were built in 1960 (plus 227 of the inline-6). It has the 289 version of the motor that produced 210 horsepower with dual exhaust. It’s paired with a “three-on-the-tree” manual transmission with overdrive. The car seems to be sandwiched in with several other vintage autos which may explain why the seller hasn’t started the car in three years. But when it was last driven, we’re told it ran great with plenty of power and had no mechanical issues.
We’re also told the car has never been restored, so the Pacific Blue paint and matching interior furnishings would all be original. The odometer reads 82,000 miles which could be authentic since the car seems to have spent a great deal of its life indoors and out of the elements. Hagerty estimates that one of these Studebakers in Excellent Condition is a mid-twenties automobile and the bidding is barely half of that so far.
Can someone who knows comment on the B pillar? Some ;models of the Hawks (and going way back to the ’53’s,) had one, some did not. Now, I think those without looked better, but, did the ones with have more interior room, especailly the back seat? Clearly they would have done better in a rollover, but who thought that way in 1960? We had always had Studebakers, a ’37 which broke down a lot in the late ’40’s, a brand new ’50, which burned a lot of oil (no oil filter!), and in ’56 he was looking for a car. I was 16, and he actually asked my opinion. I vouched for a Chevy with a V8, fearing that he would buy another Studebaker – the 4 door sedans were ungainly – and he bought a Chevy Powerglide 6. I had to teach him that it shifted all by itself, and not to take his foot off the gas to get it to shift.
They made both post coupes and hardtops between ’53 and ’58. They made post coupes only from ’59 to ’61 – the last of the finned Hawk. Interior dimensions and wheelbases are the same. Just some had door frames and pop out quarter windows and the others were hardtops with no B pillar. The post coupes like this were inherently much stiffer and didn’t need the rust-prone torque boxes underneath like the hardtops had.
The Studebaker’s Hawk classic design was introduced in 1953 and lasted until 1964.
charlie… my ’53 had the B pillar and a friend had a ’54 without it. Didn’t see any difference in back seat room but didn’t measure it out either. Was glad to have the B pillar as I had a mother Olds engine and 4 speed automatic in it and it was a perfect combination for the drag strip. ’53s through ’55s great looking cars with or without The B pillar.
A college friend looked into a “53 or “54 to do a Studillac, he had a good sense of style, became a top architect, and he had money, he looked into it and was advised that the ’53 with no B pillar was too weak, he needed a ’54, preferably with a B pillar if he were going to stress it. This was in 1962. He ended up with a supercharged Lark convertible with A/C, both “options ” required some special pull with the factory. The supercharger may have been a dealer add on, I know it took about 90 days to get the car.
Charlie,
A supercharger wasn’t on the option list in 1962, but it sure was for 1963 & 64, so if your friend was buying his car in mid 1962, the dealer would be able to order all the parts to add the supercharger, once the new parts list were available.
There were 4 options that took up “drive belt space” on a Stude 289; power steering, alternator [starting in 1963], A/C compressor, and supercharger. But all 4 didn’t fit. You had to choose up to 3 options. If your friend’s car had both the blower and A/C, it probably didn’t have power steering.
That said I know of 2 1958 Packard Hawks with factory A/C and blower. One didn’t have power steering, but the other Hawk was recently discovered [and featured here on Barn Finds this year. It had power steering and A/C, and the blower, plus the generator. Obviously a special order, it had the special metal cowl tag that indicated A/C, so it was not dealer installed A/C. Instead, the A/C hoses showed the compressor was located down on the passenger side of the motor, not up on top as expected.
The Avanti was an exception, as the lower front body and hood didn’t allow the supercharger to be placed at the top of the engine, it had to be on the side of the motor front. Because the Avanti was equipped with power steering and brakes as standard equipment, there was only one space for an option. Either A/C or supercharger. From what I know, no Studebaker Avanti cars were ever equipped with both blower and A/C. It’s a simple fact — there was no room.
I’ve long suspected the Studebaker engineers, starting in 1957, said “Yes, we can put A/C on sedans and coupes with superchargers, but as few customers will want that option combination, we can do it on special order, but not list it in the brochures or build sheets.”
I remember well, back in the early 1970s a friend in the Studebaker club in our area had a Lark 2-door sedan with factory A/C, alternator, and supercharger, as well as a 4-speed trans. It had power factory Dunlop disc brakes, but no power steering.
Every time I see one of these I hear “Secret Agent Man” playing somewhere.
Every time I see one of these I hear “Billy the Mountain” by FZ.
Nice car. Unfortunately, back then too many of these were ‘Wooden” Hawks. Because too many people “wooden” buy them.
My Dad drove nothing but Studies til 1960 when the handwriting was on the wall @ our local dealer (Dbq, IA) Too bad as they were great cars often yrs ahead of the so-called Big 3.