Every time I see another one of these, I like them more. This is a 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk. Mark Sturgeon has his eye on the auction websites and found this one for us here on hibid. It’s up for sale in an online bidding process that has a couple of weeks to go and has attracted over sixty bidders so far. The price is still a reasonable $12,400. The car is in Portland, Indiana, and you’re on your own to get it into your driveway as the seller offers no shipping services. Note that whatever you pay will be supplemented by a seven percent buyer’s premium.
Still interested? The ad will somewhat perplex you with its contradictions and relative lack of detail. Let’s start with the fact that it has a ten-year local shop restoration (What were they doing, exactly?) but that it shows wear, chrome flaws, and bubbling on the surface in the paint (What, exactly, were they doing?). Despite all of this, it’s very original (except for the paint, it would seem). The car has a 289, as it should, but voila! That’s all the information you get. A look at the engine photo, however, reveals the presence of a McCulloch Supercharger, as should be there. The car is being sold by a real estate and auction company, which perhaps explains the dearth of details.
Looking at the photos shows a nicely detailed underhood area and a tidy interior. (More evidence of that ten-year period of work). There are no shots underneath the car, and if there’s one that pictures the bubbling, it’s not clear which. But you need to find that, or ask for it, because that could indicate extensive problems or, even if small, the need to address them right away, which takes away from your summer of tailfins and adds expense on to your purchase price.
Are you in Indiana? If so, this South Bend product will get nods of recognition everywhere you take it. If not, observers will still be intrigued by the styling, however unfamiliar they might be with it, with the aforementioned fins complemented by bullet-looking taillights. Front-end-on, the car has interesting accents and large air inlet scoops (Is that right, Studebaker lovers?) that give off a sporting look. And the interior is a masterpiece of jet-age style, the gauges looking like they came out of a fighter plane. Do they work? That’s probably for you to test. Better hop on a plane to the Midwest as soon as you get the chance, because there might be opportunity hiding in plain sight here.
I’ll never understand how anyone can just bid on a car with so little details and without a test drive. Just doesn’t make much sense.
Interestingly, the same Indiana auction/real estate outfit is selling three Ford Skyliner retractables — a ’57, ’58 and ’59 owned by the same collector (perhaps the same one as this Hawk). The ’58 and ’59 have the 352 V8, while the ’57 per the VIN originally had the rare E-code 312 with two 4-barrel carburetors (270 gross HP). Unfortunately, that engine has been replaced with an FE series engine of unstated displacement. Oddly, the auction listing incorrectly says it has a 292, which it doesn’t and didn’t originally.
352 wasn’t available in ‘58, which unfortunately adds to the confusion.
Sorry, Bunky, the 332 and 352 were available in 1958.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_FE_engine
The 332 & 352 were available in ’58. It was their first year.
remove this spam!
Thanks!
What makes you think the ad is spam? Please explain.
There was a spam comment from supposedly a female wanting ‘friends’. Fortunately, it was removed.
I like this Studebaker though…. beautiful car.
I always am amazed at what Studebaker did to update a design from 1953!
Beautiful looking car. I’ve always loved pre-1962 Studebaker Hawks. This is one of the nicest cars I’d seen. Assuming everything works like they should, I’d pay between $10,000 and $15,000 for a car in this nice original condition.
It just inched over 15K, plus 7%, so you and I are both out on this one, it would seem!
The more I see these Studebakers the more I appreciate their styling. In the auction vehicle description maybe the reference to 10 year plus renovation means it took place 10 years ago and not that it took 10 years to complete. Who knows. Not forthcoming with much information. I really like the colors on this. I’m sure that if one is not careful you could put the transmission in reverse by mistake because of it’s location. Almost complete opposite to modern automatics.
My great-grandfather bought one of these new. I still remember it.
Call me I am very interested
Chris Petri 16305423345
This car should go for quite a bit of money.
If you are really interested in this car, join the Studebaker Drivers Club, there is a wealth of information there, even if you do not know much about these cars and trucks, the price is right, parts are there for just about anything you might need. Dave Meachum — a former old time Studebaker Packard Dealer.