1958 Studebaker Golden Hawk

The Studebaker Golden Hawk is a two-door pillarless hardtop personal luxury car produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, between 1956 and 1958.

The Golden Hawk has an eggcrate grille and a pointed front-end nose. In the rear are tail fins with integrated tail lights. The brake light and backup-light were stacked in the rear. The rear window is a wrap-around. There were a variety of colors to select from, including the popular two-tone color schemes.

Under the hood of this Studebaker Golden Hawk was a 289ci Sweepstakes overhead-valve V8 engine with a McCulloch supercharger rated at 275hp, mated to an upgraded Flightomatic automatic transmission. With its low body weight and powerful engine, the Golden Hawk could race from zero-to-sixty in around 7.8 seconds and reach top speed at 125 mph. A McCulloch supercharger was later added which raised horsepower to 275. A fiberglass overlay on the hood was added which provided extra room for the supercharger.

Green vinyl with heavy texture canvas and a hint of metal thread make up the front split bench and rear bench seating. The dash is machined circle pattern aluminum and stretches the length of the dash front. Within this are all gauges, switches, a radio and knobs for various controls. Padded vinyl finishes the upper dashboard and is untracked and not blemished. The same holds true for the side panel coverings around the sides of the back bench seat.

The Golden Hawk proved to be one of the most unique and powerful American GT cars of the era. Yet despite its enormous potential, Studebaker’s financial trouble would soon spell the end for the Golden Hawk and this legendary American car company.