This 1962 Studebaker is the 281st Gran Turismo Hawk built, its October 1961 build date near the beginning of a three-year run for this elegant Thunderbird challenger. Of course, it’s only an early car if you overlook the fact that the GT Hawk was merely an extensive freshening of an already-nine-year-old design, but let’s roll with it—Hawks are cool. Find this low-mile four-speed here on eBay out of Higginsville, Missouri, with the reserve already met at a bid of just $1,000.
I love good examples of resourceful design and engineering from small companies, and the GT Hawk is a great one. Of course, it’s a testament to how well Bob Bourke’s low, trim, and clean 1953 design predicted the ’60s that nearly a decade and a Brooks Stevens facelift later it could still look fairly fresh. The more formal roofline was the GT’s biggest change, with the hood and trunklid actually carrying over from the previous facelift in 1956.
Studebaker’s 289-cubic inch V8 carried over, too, for 1962, although it would be replaced the following year by the Avanti’s R-series engines. This one is apparently the standard two-barrel version, good for 210 horsepower and mated to an optional four-speed, floor-shifted manual. The car was last driven in 1992, but the seller says the engine is free and that they wouldn’t be surprised “if it turned over with a fresh battery and fresh fluids.” Only 12,449 miles are shown on the odometer, which the seller thinks might be accurate on the basis of a gas record from 1984, but I dunno—that still gives the car 22 years for the odometer to have turned over before that.
The interior is in remarkably good condition, if in need of a good cleaning, with no tears in the upholstery and what looks to be a crack-free dash. The carpet and kick panels clearly need to be redone, but otherwise I think mostly this interior just needs preservation. The Hurst shifter is a nice semi-period touch, and the GT plays up its alleged European influences with a very nice, complete set of gauges including an optional tachometer. Also listed on the option sheet is a “Climatizer,” which I had to look up and still don’t completely understand—from what I gather it’s a secondary heater so that you can run both the defroster and the heater at the same time. I hope some hard-core Studebakeristes will drop into the comments to give us a better explanation!
The seller describes this car as “honest, complete, and unmolested,” but also acknowledges that there is rust in the rockers, floors, and trunk, and evidence of past rust repair in the driver’s side floorpan. Although I hope it goes higher, at the low current bid the interior of this car alone is enough to offset those issues; where do you think is the pricing sweet spot for the pros and cons presented by this early bird?
Look at the brake pedal. This has rolled over.
probably, but what the heck?
Parts are easy for almost everything that is needed, including body parts. Both my brother and I owned one of these at different times. Bigger than they look, somewhat bigger than Mustangs, but not as wide. Easy to work on, Lots of room and the assembly is pretty basic. Good cars to restore.
Studes Climatiser was an optional heater & defroster system that draw outside or inside air into the heater unit located under the right front seat to heat up the passanger interior and provide defroster systems
That factory 4 speed takes this car to the next level in terms of collector car enjoyment. My fave model Stude (other than the Avanti of course)
For originality I would like to see this car’s built sheet; not too many came with 4 on the floor and bucket seats front
All domestic GT Hawks came with bucket seats, period. Those that were made (assembled) in an overseas factory could have anything, as some countries demanded that a certain percentage of the car were to be assembled with locally produced parts. As far as the 4 speed, this was the second year for the T-10 transmission and was a very popular option, and a large percentage of these Hawks had this transmission.
As far as the question posed by Nathan Avots-Smith about the “Climatizer”, that was the name that Studebaker called their heater-defrost system, no matter which model of Studebaker. It is just like Nash and Rambled calling their heat/defrost system, “Weather -Eye”.
The build sheet is included in the eBay listing photos showing this is an original 4-speed car. Fortunately for Studebaker aficionados, production records for most postwar cars were preserved and reprints are readily available through the Studebaker National Museum archives.
I have never been much of a Studebaker fan,but I like this one and those ’62-64 GT Hawks are good looking and would love to own this one.
My Older sister had one as a daily driver about 43 years ago. It was in this beige color, leather seats, with the 289 2bbl and the 4 speed. One day after I got out of High School, she let me use it for a couple of hours. I drove to a friends house and we cruised around. The car was only 13 years old at the time, no electronics, no computers. The car rode/drove/shifted well. Very roomy and overall in perfect shape. Forty three year years on, that Hawk GT is still around, sadly my sister is not.
Studebaker had styling way ahead of the times…My cousin had a ’56 all black Golden Hawk with a professionally built Packard engine, 3 speed manual. Back then nothing could touch it…My dream car.
Patrick Shanahan:
Long shot here 6 years after your post: Was your cousin’s car the one owned by Jerry Bowden and maybe Asa Hall? I’ve been looking for that car for 40 years.
Keith
Maine
This is what they looked like when new; original sales/factory pictures……
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There is a lot going on here, mostly negative. (The car, not you guys) The body appears to be twisted. And I agree with the comment aboout the odometer turning over. So he has a sheet of note paper with some numbers written on it. But, what the heck, we get spare dirty air filter in the trunk. Yippee!!