This is hardly the first Studebaker to be covered here on Barn Finds and I’m certain that it won’t be the last. Studebaker was a bit of a “go your own way” auto manufacturer and their products were varied and commendable. And it wasn’t just ordinary sedans that they produced though the bullet-nose ’50 and ’51 Champion, Commander and Land Cruiser are certainly memorable. It was models like the Avanti and the “Hawk” series that really stood out. And here is a just such an example of a very memorable Studebaker, a 1962 Gran Turismo Hawk, located in El Cajon, California, and available here on craigslist for $2,500. Thanks to Robert T. for this tip!

The Gran Turismo Hawk, or GT Hawk, produced between 1962 and 1964, was a continuation of the Golden Hawk series which got its start in 1956. The three year run yielded about 15K copies. The history and conclusion of Studebaker has been covered here before so there’s no reason to rehash it but recalling the demise of American auto marques like Hudson-Nash-Rambler-American Motors, Kaiser-Frasier-Willys, DeSoto, Edsel, and Studebaker-Packard is a wistful exercise. For the most part, these mash-ups and their ultimate passing occurred a long time ago. But there are constant current reminders that everything evolves and the fittest survive. In more recent times we have witnessed the demise of Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Saturn, Saab, Hummer, Pontiac, Mercury, Scion, Holden, and probably others that I can’t recall. Looking forward, what happens to Dodge and Chrysler, or maybe Buick? The beat goes on…

This GT Hawk was a very stylish automobile, it borrowed a hint of Mercedes with its grille and a nod to the Thunderbird with its roofline. Unfortunately, this example does not show its best due to the plethora of surface rust. The seller states that this is a California car, mostly all there, is complete, and has some rust. Well rust indeed, it’s difficult however to get a thorough enough look to determine the rust’s invasiveness. The bottom of the doors, in particular, look pretty shakey, note the rocker panel molding in the above image, something is going on there. The top of the quarters are rough too. It’s safe to assume metalwork will be needed, it’s just hard to say how much. Notable, however, all of the trim, including the original wheel covers, appear to still be in place.

Moving inside, the environment pretty much goes hand-in-hand with the exterior. It’s shot, the seats/upholstery, door cards, carpet; can’t determine the solidity of the floors from the included images though images of the underside reveal a solid looking structure. In totality, the seller states the following regarding the interior, “The interior on the car is mainly there but will need to be restored. All factory gauges are there and the dash is uncut. Front seats are bucket seats with a center console. Has manual windows. All the glass is there with the vehicle and in good shape. The original steering wheel is there and the horn Gran Turismo horn button is there.” I will concur regarding the instrument panel, it is intact and all gauges seem present and accounted for. There are no images of the headliner but it’s safe to assume that will need a redo as well.

For power, this GT Hawk utilizes Studebaker’s 210 HP, 289 CI, V8 engine, driving through a four-speed manual transmission. And yes, it runs! In spite of sitting for many years, a little direct injection, otherwise known as dumping gasoline down the carburetor, convinced the engine to fire. The motor is going to need some work with fluid swaps and tuning requirements etc. but the fact that it started, and it would seem that it started easily, is a big plus. And of course, the four-speed manual shift sets this Hawk apart from others and helps to up its desirability a bit.

Completely finished, a Gran Turismo Hawk is a great looking car and belies the somewhat dowdy image more pedestrian Studebakers possessed, especially so late in Studebaker’s life-cycle. It’s a tribute to their dedication that they build such a model right up to the end. There is no denying it, this example is reasonably priced but there is probably a lot more going on with both the interior and exterior bodywork than initially meets the eye. What do you think, worth taking a flyer on this classic Studebaker?