1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk V8 Hardtop

Studebaker hired designer Brooks Stevens to redesign the Hawk for 1962. He was given a shoestring budget and was faced with the uncertainty surrounding the company's fortunes. Stevens was able to modernize Raymond Loewy's original design in striking fashion, rounding off the rear of the car and replacing its softly arcing roofline with a squared-off roof inspired by the Ford Thunderbird. For 1963, the design remained virtually unchanged. In another attempt to increase the new Hawk's appeal, Studebaker began offering the Avanti 289 cubic-inch V8 in both normally aspirated and supercharged versions and a new Super Hawk braking and handling package that included front and rear anti-roll bars, rear radius rods, heavy-duty springs, power steering, and power front disc brakes.

This particular example is an unrestored example that has been given a repaint in the original Ermine White. It is one of 56 early production 1963 GT Hawks special ordered to Super Hawk specifications before the model was technically available from the factory. It was specially built for actor Alan Young, and currently retains its matching-numbers R1 289/240 HP Jet-Thrust Avanti V-8 engine, which is teamed with a heavy-duty Flight-O-Matic transmission and Twin Traction limited-slip rear end. It has its original Red vinyl interior equipped with factory Climatizer air conditioning, full gauges, and a 6000 RPM tachometer.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2014