“Attention Walmart shoppers! There’s a ’57 Studebaker Hawk in the parking lot today–you might want to check it out!” Alas, no such announcement came over the speaker system at the local Walmart. But I managed to discover this rare Studebaker anyway.
Only about 9,000 of these were built in ’57–what are the odds of seeing one in a shopping center parking lot in the year 2025?
One of the things that struck me upon seeing this Stude for the first time is how many interesting details/doodads are on this car, all designed with flair and imagination:
Twin side-view mirrors have a star-like motif, with built-in reflectors. So beautiful!
A chrome “hood scoop”– suggesting power and swift, graceful motion.
The Studebaker script, with crossed-flags emblem signifying the presence of the smooth and durable 289 cubic inch V-8 engine.
Studebaker door handles have an aerodynamic chrome backing plate. The keyhole has this finely-crafted escutcheon which swings up so smoothly. When you see pictures of cars in books, you miss seeing little details like this!
The wonderful name, “Silver Hawk” with Studebaker heraldic shield on the trunk lid. How could a car with the name Silver Hawk be a turkey?
I step back from it (luckily I have some room!) If you squint you can see the original 1953 Bob Bourke design. I suppose Studebaker management would say, “Yes, but it’s up-to-date now–we put fins on it!” LOL. Looks like we have non-original “Baby Moon” hubcaps on red-painted rims. The rear looks a little jacked up.
Looks very ’57 Dodge from this angle. I don’t think those end pieces on the fins should be red.
As I was scoping out this Hawk, the owner came by. I told him about Curbside Classic. He kindly opened the door and let me take inside photos:
The dashboard is shiny yet minimalist, with engine-turned finish. Whoa–what’s that on the floor?
“A motorcycle fender ornament” the owner tells me. Neat! 😍
Obviously these aren’t the original seats. “Got ’em out of a Chevy van!” the owner states.
Original back seat is still intact.
He lifted the hood to show me the engine. No one will complain about the oil filter being inaccessible!
Air cleaner with original decal in excellent condition!
This Studebaker Hawk, with its alterations and “custom touches”, kind of reminds me of a car a young college student may have acquired and driven back in the ’70s. Studebaker resale value was practically nil by that time. So it would be like, “Yeah, man–I picked up this cool Stude for $100. The seats were trashed, but me and my friend got a set of buckets out of a van at G.I. Auto Salvage!”
Or maybe it’s like one of those altered but still running cacharros that are still plying the streets and highways of Cuba. According to author Cristina Garcia, Studebakers (not as prized as Chevys) are known as Studedesgracias, which translates roughly as: “Sure they look nice, but forget about going anywhere!”
It’s kind of surprising that the name “Studebaker” was practically unknown or forgotten by the time I was growing up in the ’70s. I remember one Saturday I was out with my parents. We went to a garage sale and I picked up this blue Studebaker wagon Matchbox car. I was proud of my find, and our next stop was at a new car dealership (Dad wanted to look at a car). I showed my Matchbox car to one of the salesmen because I wanted to get his “expert opinion” on it.
Me (to salesman): “See this? It’s a Studebaker station wagon.”
Salesman: “Studebeagle?”
Me: “Studebaker! You sell cars and you don’t know what a Studebaker is?”
Apparently not. I told my father about this, and he said “That’s because car salesmen are idiots!” Ah yes, another illusion shattered. All salesmen, mechanics, repairmen, home improvement “professionals” were looked upon with suspicion and contempt–they were all incompetent in one way or another and ready to rip you off, or as my father put it, “Separate you from your money.” So whenever possible, Dad did everything himself (and did it well).
The sun is setting, but the sun set on Studebaker a long time ago.
If this car really turns you on, it can be yours. Contact seller.
Related CC reading:
Vintage SCI Review: 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk – As Fast As The Chrysler 300C, And A Lot Cheaper
Two Supercharged Rarities: 1958 Packard Hawk And 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk
I still like the 53 best but that one is nice the details are cool but under that stailnless moulding on the rear quarter is a row of rivets where they attached the fin, I saw one half stripped for a repaint and the seam was obvious, hey its a common trick my old wagon has a painted moulding hidin the join where the sedan quarters had the wagon top joined on its welded but hidden the same way.In a small suburb on the outskirts of Sydney were 3 of these Hawks all the same model, one hotrodded fat tyres low etc one being resprayed shade tree style and one that never seemed to move and not all outside the same house.
Beautiful. Studie liked to give fancy names to accessories. Those were probably Strato-Vu mirrors. The reflector could be turned into an LED turn signal to modernize it!
The seats are actually from a Ford van, specifically a Club Wagon Chateau.
You beat me to it! 1992-96.
I would never have thought to swap seats from a Ford van into a Hawk; note the right and left seats from the CWC are reversed left to right. Possibly 2nd to 1st row too; there are lots of van owners that all but permanently have removed their 2nd and/or 3rd row seats which can now be found on porches and basements everywhere.
I love survivors and this one still looks nice .
I love the two tone treatment .
I bet every time that oil filter is removed you have a mess to clean up .
I remember punching a hole in the top to help drain most of the oil out before loosening .
I had no idea these were such low production .
-Nate
My later Uncle Walter was a mechanical genius and owned one of the earlier Studebaker models; I want to say his was a 1954 model. A cream-like white with red interior. He drove it into the early 1970’s including on his annual winter pilgrimage to Daytona to see the 500. After the race he and my aunt Barbara would bum around Florida for a couple of months in true gypsy fashion which I recall made my mother envious with jealousy. Uncle Walter was a professional air conditioning and refrigeration specialist on retainer to a major regional grocery chain in southeastern North Carolina into the mid 1970’s, the champion at both the Myrtle Beach and Jacksonville NC NASCAR-sanctioned dirt tracks in 1959, loved to travel via car, and never worked a conventional 9-5 schedule. He was also the chief mechanic for one Ralph Earnhardt (Sr) for the 1963 Daytona 500. After Jr was a NASCAR champion my Aunt Barbara told me how she several times held and rocked Jr. to sleep while sitting on the tailgate of a pickup truck in the infield of various South Carolina short tracks. When Uncle Walter passed I was executor of his estate, and in his barn was the Studebaker, a 1936 Chevrolet coupe, and a mid 1940’s Indian motorcycle. The collector I sold the Studebaker to would later tell me of the many technical innovations my uncle had made to it. One was the addition of an oil cooler consisting of a Crowsley radiator located behind the front grill, in front of the car’s regular radiator and connected to the engine oiling system via copper tubing. The oil flow originated from the oil pan drain hole and and flowed through the auxillary filter before returning to the oil filter neck.
I have heard it said that “they are never truly gone as long as they are remembered”. Thank you for reading and helping me remember.
Those red tailfin caps were really bugging me and, as far as can find out, they’re supposed to be chrome.
So, I’m guessing the chrome detiorated and, instead of having them rechromed, the owner just had them repainted. I think he should have stuck with the OEM look.
I grew up in Southern California. From what I remember, there were about two. ‘56 or ‘57 Studebakers in our area.
I do clearly remember our crossing guard drove a ‘50 Starlight Coupe, in black…but it did have white walls which I thought, in 1957, looked pretty nice.