Studebaker Hawk
America's original personal luxury GT — European inspiration, South Bend execution.
The Studebaker Hawk family represents a decade of American GT car design that anticipated the personal luxury coupe by a decade. The 1953 Starliner hardtop is considered one of the most beautiful American cars of the postwar era. The Golden Hawk (1956–58) with its Packard V8 and supercharger, and the Gran Turismo Hawk (1962–64) with Brooks Stevens' refined interior, are the collector highlights.
History
The Hawk lineage begins with Bob Bourke's 1953 Starliner and Starlight coupes — clean, low European-influenced bodies at odds with Detroit's chrome excess. The Champion Starliner and Commander Starliner were renamed Hawks in 1956. The Golden Hawk arrived with Packard's 352 V8 and then a McCulloch supercharger on Studebaker's 289 — producing 275 hp in a stylish, compact coupe.
Brooks Stevens refreshed the Hawk for 1962 with a formal roofline, revised interior, and the Gran Turismo Hawk designation. The GT Hawk with the Paxton supercharger option produced over 300 hp — remarkable for a car from a struggling independent manufacturer. The final GT Hawks in 1964 were built after Studebaker had shut its South Bend factory, assembled in Hamilton, Ontario.
Notable Versions
1953 Starliner
Bob Bourke's original design — considered one of the most beautiful American cars of the 1950s.
Golden Hawk (1956–58)
Packard V8 (1956) then supercharged 289 (1957–58). 275 hp in a stylish GT package.
Gran Turismo Hawk (1962–64)
Brooks Stevens redesign with formal roof and refined interior. Paxton supercharger available.
What to Look for When Buying
Key inspection points from experienced collectors.
Studebaker-specific parts are difficult
Parts support for Studebaker is significantly worse than for Big Three cars. The Studebaker Drivers Club is the primary resource.
Supercharger condition is critical
The McCulloch and Paxton superchargers on the Golden Hawk and GT Hawk are complex and expensive to rebuild. Verify function before purchase.
1953 Starliner sheetmetal is rare
Original-condition 1953 Starliners are extremely difficult to restore correctly due to parts scarcity. Buy the best example you can afford.
Quick Specs
- Engine options
- 232 I6, 259 V8, 289 V8; Golden Hawk: 352 Packard V8 then 289 supercharged
- Horsepower
- 120–275 hp (Golden Hawk supercharged)
- Wheelbase
- 120.5 in
- Transmission
- 3-spd manual, Flightomatic automatic
Market Price Guide
Approximate USA asking prices
Studebaker Hawk For Sale
No listings currently available — check back soon
🔍
No listings right now
Set up an alert and we'll email you when a Studebaker Hawk is listed.