Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk
The Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk ( or GT Hawk ) was a sporty coupe that established the Studebaker -Packard Corporation from 1962 to 1964. It was the last development of the Hawk series that began in 1956 with the Golden Hawk.
Gran Turismo Hawk
The styling of the GT Hawk was a fairly radical facelift, which meted out the old Hawk - form of designer Brooks Stevens; Stevens wanted a relationship of European-style car with clean lines, and he called it Hawk Monaco ( The prototype even had Monegasque license plate ). The bonnet of the earlier models was kept but got a strong lower radiator frame to look like the Mercedes -Benz, which was at that time also distributed by Studebaker in the USA. The grille inside the frame also saw the Mercedes- Benz similar.
Despite the European influence of the Gran Turismo Hawk also showed American Influences: The roof line was very similar to that of the Ford Thunderbird, with its wide C-pillars. A chrome strip across the entire length of the vehicle lifted the upper part of the body in the same way shows how the contemporary Lincoln Continental. In particular, the taillights were formed on the model of Lincoln and the trunk lid was given a chrome surround (around the notches of the hood, which of the years 1956 - 1961 was adopted to conceal, ) to that of the Lincoln looked like also.
Stevens comprehensive, yet cost-effective changes to the body liberated the car finally on the tail fins of the 1950s and the side ornaments from previous years. The rear window was nearly flat and reset, its cost, which were usually very highly reduced. Overall, the exterior retained its soft, aerodynamic style of the former Studebaker, but put him on a contemporary level.
Modernization of the interior
Stevens also revised the interior and had installed a modern instrument panel that had a number of large, easy -to-read instruments in the field of view of the driver. The top edge of the dashboard was padded, which protect the occupants in an accident of injury. This dashboard was a trendsetter of Studebaker; especially later Chrysler models had dashboards, which resembled that of the Hawk.
The GT Hawk had bucket seats and a center console forward, as it belongs to a GT, and all the seats were covered with either a combination of fabric and polyvinyl chloride or even vinyl.
Unfortunately, the particularly like georderte vinyl in 1962 turned out to be of too poor quality and fell into disrepair. The problem was solved by an equipment with U.S. Royal Naugahyde vinyl in 1963, but the sit-down vinyl together in the 1962 models promoted the reputation of the car, the already worse than last year sold, not exactly.
Chassis and mechanics
Because of the precarious financial situation of Studebaker, the lower parts of the car remained as in previous models. For this reason, there was between the carriages of a GT Hawk from 1962 and a 1953 Starliner / Starlight no difference.
Under the hood is a Hawk Buyer In 1962, when the 4.7 liter - V8 - engine between the twin carburettor version with 210 bhp (155 kW) and the four -barrel carburetor version with 225 bhp (167 kW) decide that with a manual three-speed transmission, a three -speed transmission with overdrive or a Flight -O -Matic (automatic transmission) equipped.
Starting in 1963, you could see the "Jet Trust " R- series machine from Avanti that had been designed for the Studebaker Avanti, Studebaker order for all, with the usual R1 240 bhp (176 kW) rendered, the turbocharged 289 bhp R2 (213 kW) and the turbocharged motor, special- full with 5 liter capacity 335 hp ( 248 kW). The ride and the brakes were improved to suit the car the high line engines; There were front and rear stabilizers, rear trailing arms, heavy duty springs, and front disc brakes, all of which were summarized in a " Super Hawk " package that was available for equipped with R1 and R2 motors cars from the mid- production year. The engine factory Avanti awarded for the Hawk and Lark models serial numbers ( for R1 ) and " JTS " ( for R2) began with " JT ", and not, as in the Avanti, such as "R " or "RS ".
The GT Hawk was a lightweight for an American car in its class and time, and so each of these engines made him a high-performance car; the charged R engines only increased the already existing performance. Although the Studebaker V8 engines were very heavy for their size, the Hawk was the opinion of most drivers, a car with surprisingly good handling and a safe straight-line stability.
Annual styling changes
1963, the car was slightly revised and received improvements front, back and sides. Round parking lights below the main headlights replaced the square and were placed in the corners of the new side grills with a rectangular pattern of lines on a fine mesh. The same Linien-/Netzstruktur continued in the grille and there replaced the simpler fine mesh of the previous model. Beginning of 1963, the housing of the parking lights have been changed and the right side of the dashboard was a wooden-like pattern behind the instruments corresponded to the one on the left. The doors were red, white and blue emblems next to the GT emblems, back the color of the aluminum cladding were reversed and also on the trunk lid was placed a red-white- blue next to the Hawk Emblem. Inside, the Hawk got 1963 vertical creases in the cushions, which replaced the horizontal of 1962, and far better vinyl.
The 1964 model of the GT got some major design changes. There was finally enough money for new press tools, so that the old trunk lid could be abolished with their notches in 1962 and 1963, the chrome bezel made it necessary for the models. The new, softer shaped trunk lid bore the inscription " Studebaker Hawk". Also, the grille was changed again, in two points: In the middle of a " Hawk" emblem was attached and enthroned the new top in the middle "S in a circle" emblem, which contributed all Studebaker models in 1964.
Perhaps the most interesting change in the outside covered the upper part of the car: Stevens, who had originally planned for the Gt- model half related with vinyl roof, finally got his will in 1964. There was the new " sports roof " in two different colors ( black or white) for an additional charge of U.S. $ 65.
There were also new wheel covers, like the rest of the 1964 - car line, painted dots on the vinyl roof (instead of holes from 1962 to 1963 ), new upholstery with silver thread, a stronger upper padding of the dashboard with a new instrument panel down and horizontal folds in the door panels, which replaced the previously vertical. In addition, the Hawk - buyers could order the first factory direct an AM / FM radio.
The Gran Turismo goes to Bonneville ... and stretches its wings in NASCAR racing
Andy Granatelli, then president of the Studebaker Paxton Products Division, sent two 1964 Gran Turismo Hawk in September / October 1963 after Bonneville Flats. Both cars that left South Bend with regular 289er V8 engines were, with the big 5.0 liter - high-performance engines, the R - series, which produced Paxton for Studebaker equipped.
In Bonneville was the car with the turbocharged engine R3 in the September season in fifth and ran the flying kilometer at a speed of 251.664 km / h The car with R4 engine ( naturally aspirated engine, but with two quad carburetors ) was fourth with an average speed of 236.376 km / h
As Granatelli and his colleagues returned in October to the Flats, drove the R3 cars 246.4 km / h, while the R4 car a few times 216 km / h reached.
In addition to the Hawks still drove several other Studebaker during this time in Bonneville. The cars of the firm won in the September 72 USAC records and increased the number to 337 in the following month. Most records have been won by the Daytona convertibles that were based on the Lark, but the Hawks also made an excellent impression.
Impressed by their performance bought Dick Passwater, a well-known USAC and NASCAR driver in the 1950s and 1960s, the R3 cars from Granatelli after the races at Bonneville. Passwater convinced Studebaker to support him financially and reported the car to the Yankee 300 race in 1964, as well as some other races and even some off-road driving. The car achieved the greatest success at Yankee 300 where Passwater finished tenth, although he had brake problems which forced him to quit the race prematurely.
As a side note: Passwater replaced the Studebaker engine in the Bonneville proven Hawk in the racing season in 1965 against a Pontiac engine, he used a little trick: He mounted the valve cover of Studebaker on the Pontiac. In a 2001 by Denny LeRoy for Jet Trust News, a magazine for Studebaker enthusiasts written article Passwater said of his engine swap ( which was apparently not noticed by the race ): "We cheated, and sometimes you caught us, but usually do not. "
On the market
Studebaker GT Hawk looked at the car as a European-style, and it has also been sold in Europe and other parts of the world, though not in large numbers. The cars for the UK and Australia were right hand drive.
In its home market sales were tough, yet were in the United States 8388 Hawk ( plus 947 piece abroad) sold in 1962. 1963 gave the sales figures by more than half after 4009 on piece (USA) and 625 pieces ( export). The truncated sale 1964 ended after 1,484 copies for the USA and 283 pieces for export, all in calendar year 1963.
End of the model range and reputation as a collectible
When Studebaker closed down its operations in December 1963 in South Bend, and the GT Hawk was discontinued. All automotive business activities of the company focused on the Canadian plant in Hamilton (Ontario ), where the Lark was still produced two more years with Chevrolet engines.
The last Hawk with the chassis number 64V - 20197 was painted in ' Astra White " and sold to a Californian who kept it until the mid- 1980s ( the owner is meanwhile deceased). It is believed that the car still exists today. This car was the last Studebaker of South Bend, who was sold to a private individual.
Today, the Gran Turismo Hawk is very much sought after; However, the prices are still affordable when you consider the interest of the car specialists. The GT Hawk was recognized by the Milestone Car Society as automotive milestone.