1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk

This is an auction car..ready for the gavel. Looks pretty good...missing a pushbutton on the driver's door handle. Notice the chrome bows in the interior roof...gives it the convertible look. 289 c.i. engine has a Paxton supercharger.
Studebaker did an excellent job with its instrument panels....dials and switches had that aeronautical appearance to them. I was always intrigued by these cars when a youngster.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• raconter1
• antique
• car
• show
• Studebaker
• GT
• Hawk
• Gran
• Turismo
• 1963

[GoldenHawk400]

best looking car ever GT Hawk

[raconter1]

@GoldenHawk400 I agree! The styling was fresh and uncluttered! At its best! Thanks! :) Jack

[drewerz01]

This is a very nice car, Jack, I don't recall ever seeing one before, I'll have to look it up later! ... That's quite a Supercharger it has though, a 289 with a Supercharger, that spells FUN to me :D

[raconter1]

@drewerz01 Hey, Mike! Hawks were very popular...but they had something of a problem...initial cost. Labor costs were high at Studebaker, and if the "big 3" wanted to put them out of business, they could just sell their cars at a loss for a period of time. The fact that they came out with their own V8, and a good one at that, shows they had good engineering talent. The supercharger gave the car the kick that it needed. Too bad they weren't cost competitive. Thanks!

:) Jack

[yellowdrinker]

These are my all time favorites of the Gran Turismos....the'63. The '62's had the old style front ends.....vastly improved in '63. The '64's made an attempt to clean up the rear end by removing the rear grill, but it looked "odd." I may be alone, but I like these Gran Turismo Hawks better than the Avanti, but the Avanti runs a close 2nd...All said, I miss Studebaker. And you're right, the dash is light years ahead of the competition and is timeless.

[raconter1]

@yellowdrinker I'm glad I could bring this one to you! They certainly did a nice job with the original Raymond Lowey styling! I filmed a Speedster too, and will soon upload it...another cool car ahead of its time! I wonder if some of the original inspiration for the dash came from the Cord of the 30's...similar business-like approach! Thanks! :) Jack

[raconter1]

@Sarcasticscum Hey, Nathan! That sure would be a sleeper! I think Studebaker was one of the first to take advantage of a supercharger on such a scale! Thanks!

:) Jack

[raconter1]

@1SteedRunner Hey, Steve! We had a 54 Champion...unfortunately, the flathead 6!

I could sit in one of these Hawks at the time and dream! Thanks! :) Jack

[Sarcasticscum]

Man, I'd love to have a Lark VII with an R2 engine out of an Avanti... That would be a sleeper!

[1SteedRunner]

I have been a fan of Studebaker my entire life and my dad had one when I was a kid in the early 60's. This has to be one of the finer examples that I have ever seen. Thanks!!!