1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk
The Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk (or GT Hawk) was a grand touring coupe sold by Studebaker motors between 1962 and 1964. The top of the Studebaker line, it was the final development of the Hawk series that began with the Golden Hawk in 1956.
The introduction of Studebaker’s Gran Turismo Hawk in the fall of 1962 was something akin to an ICU patient hopping out of bed and reaching for a pack of Luckies. The industry had assumed that Studebaker’s long-running C/K coupe/hardtop, which had made its debut in 1953, as the Starliner, had finally run its course at the dawn of the 1960’s. Indeed, the so-called lowboy – designed by Raymond Loewy’s team, headed by Bob Bourke – was on life number nine by the time of JFK’s inauguration. The original 1953-54 C/K is a Certified Milestone Car, often cited as one of the most beautiful American car designs of all time. Despite its aesthetics, it was far from a commercial success and was reconfigured time and time again.
In the rear of the 1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk, the taillights were visible from the side as well as the back, again hinting of the Lincoln Continental. They featured built-in backup lights and flanked a purely ornamental mesh grille treatment on the decklid. The radio aerial was mounted in the center of the leading edge of the decklid.
The engine bay could accept a variety of Studebaker engines that could be mated to a three-speed manual, four-speed, or Flight-O-Matic automatic gearbox. The engines ranged from a 4.7-liter V8 engine that produced just over 210 horsepower to a supercharged 5-liter engine that produced over 330 horsepower. The car’s low weight and front disc brakes made it a solid performance machine.
Inside, early in 1962 production the passenger side of the dash now had a woodgrain finish matching the left side in the area around the instruments. The disappointing quality 1962 seat vinyl was replaced with a higher quality material and was differentiated from the previous seats by vertical pleats instead of horizontal pleats.
This Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk is a stylish 1960s classic, which benefits from a prior respray and re-trim, and which is ready to drive and enjoy. The GT Hawk was designed to blend American themes with European-style detailing, and it is now an uncommon spot on the street, making it a fun candidate for local car meets or weekend cruising.
