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Silver Screen 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk

I’ve always been fascinated with the Studebaker Hawk. Their low-slung styling attracts me like a magnet when I see them at car shows. Fortunately, there are several Hawks in my neck of the woods in North Carolina that I regularly see being driven and enjoyed. They’re just cool-looking cars. Period. The seller is extremely light on this Hawk’s history in the Vehicle Details area only sharing that it has power steering, power brakes, and was in two recent movies: “The Fabelmans” and “He Went That Way.” This  impressive 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk is currently nesting in La Mirada, California and is for sale here on eBay. Bidding had reached $10,100 as of this writing and not met the seller’s reserve. A BIN price of $20,000 is also listed. Another thank you to our fine-feather friend, Larry D., for sending us this tip.

You can still see glimpses of Studebaker’s groundbreaking low-and-lean 1953 Lowey coupe. But by 1957, the Commander Starliner Coupe had evolved into the Hawk and had sprouted fins, more chrome, and looked more American than European in the styling department. Introduced a year earlier, Studebaker had hoped its new Hawk lineup – which it advertised as the first 5-passenger sports car – would turn business around  in 1956 and offered four separate trim levels: Flight Hawk, Power Hawk, Sky Hawk, and the top-of-the-line Golden Hawk. Well, it didn’t, and in 1957 the line was shrunk down to the hardtop, supercharged Golden Hawk and a less-ornate, sedan-version coupe named the Silver Hawk. In reviewing the photos, this Hawk looks impressive in its shiny Coppertone Metallic and Arctic White paint job. I’m not spotting any issues with the paint, chrome, trim, shiny stuff, glass, or wheel covers. I guess some judges didn’t either since there’s a photo of the seller holding a First Place Award he won at a California Studebaker’s Club car show.

The black and white interior is clean and looks to be in very good shape. Although the cloth inserts on the seats aren’t correct, they do look 50’s-era period correct. The tasteful instrument panel still retains the European styling cues of the ’53 Studebaker and the white steering wheel is in great shape. Sales literature bragged about the Hawk being a groundbreaking “family sports car.” The one and only car to “combine brilliant styling and performance with the versatility of a family car!” (Some will argue that the Hawk, not the 1958 Thunderbird, was America’s first four-seater personal luxury car.)

Silver Hawks came standard with a six cylinder, but this one left the factory with the optional 289-cubic-inch V8. Nothing is mentioned about how it runs or if it’s been rebuilt or if the 63,000 miles listed are original or not. In addition to power steering and power breaks, this Hawk also has an optional automatic transmission. Overall, this Silver Hawk looks shiny, clean, and impressive and I really like that Coppertone Metallic and Arctic White paint choice. No wonder it has won awards and appeared in two movies recently. What do you think about this silver-screen Silver Hawk?

Comments

  1. Todd J. Todd J. Member

    I had a ’57 Silver Hawk for awhile, sold it last year to finance another purchase. It never failed to be a conversation starter whenever I stopped somewhere. I had a lot of fun with it.
    https://ibb.co/T4NfYTN

    Like 8
    • Michael Garner

      Beautiful Hawk!

      Like 3
  2. Michelle Rand Staff

    “Loewy”, sorry! …. I far prefer the Starliner to this one, with its bulbous nose and tail. In Hawks, make mine Golden. Splendid cars.

    Like 2
  3. Vince H

    Ad says power brakes but I do not see a booster.

    Like 1
    • Bill McCoskey Bill McCoskey Member

      Vince,

      You are correct, it should be a big Bendix HydroVac mounted to the left front inner fender, impossible to miss on opening the food.

      Like 1
  4. Kurt Member

    Is that a version of the Packard V8?

    Like 0
    • Bob C.

      The Packard 352 v8 was available in the Hawk for 1956 only. The 289 is true Stude.

      Like 3
      • Jeremiah W. Bullfrog

        I saw a 1954 Studebaker that was equipped with the Packard V8 engine.

        Like 0
  5. Kenny

    Nice write up on a very nice Hawk. Several things, though… yes it has power steering, but no, it doesn’t have power brakes (not “breaks”). That IS the correct interior, fabric and all, for a ‘57 Silver Hawk. A few more really cool things: it has very rare power windows (I’ve rarely seen them at all, and then only on a Golden Hawk), and speaking of Golden Hawks, the instrument panel has all the G.H. Gauges: tachometer, clock, and a ‘56 G.H. Vacuum gauge, very hard to find. If I didn’t already own 3 of them, I would be all over this car. Worth every bit of $20K.

    Like 2
  6. Kenny

    One more thing… appears to have a newer engine. Without seeing the number, I would guess it’s a ‘60-‘62. ‘57’s had 4 bolts on each valve cover, this one only has 2, but still has the top mount oil filter. They moved that to the side of the block for ‘63-‘64.

    Like 0
    • Vince H

      Oil filter changed part way thru 62. Vacuum gauge looks more like 57-58 to me

      Like 1
    • Bill McCoskey Bill McCoskey Member

      In the early 1970s you could buy a pair of complete NOS 2 valve-cover bolt cylinder heads for about $20 each, ’cause they had literally TONS of them at SASCO in South Bend. I bought 2 sets when I was there in 1972 for my ’63 GT Hawk because they were cheaper than having a machine shop do a valve job. Chances are that’s what happened on this car, and the block is still original to the car.

      I would have bought more head sets had I financially been able to buy them, and that big trunk in my 66 Fury convertible was already filled with Studebaker & Packard parts from SASCO.

      Like 2

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