1962 Studebaker GT Hawk

The Gran Turismo Hawk was unveiled in 1962 after the brilliant redesign by Brooks Stevens on a shoestring budget. By 1961 the original Hawk design began to look aged, and the public was not buying them. Brooks Stevens did a miracle reskin of the car by putting on a new grille, shaving off the fins, and adding a new, squarer roofline. The public immediately responded and sales nearly tripled. The design was continued with very little changed until 1964, but when the South Bend plant closed, so did the story of this short lived version of the long lived Hawk.

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Raymond Loewy penned the 1950s Studebaker, creating the elegant designs of the Champion and Commander six- and eight-cylinder models, sold in either Starlight (coupe) or Starliner (hardtop) form. For 1956, the whole range was revised and renamed the Hawk, distinguished by a squared-off eggcrate grille and different bootline. Available in four trim levels, the Flight, Power, Sky and Golden Hawks respectively, the Studebakers sport coupes combined good looks with powerful V8 engines. By 1960, Studebaker's coupe models were simply known as the Hawk, selling alongside the Lark four-door range. Mechanically, the 1960 Hawk could be had in six-cylinder form (for export only) but more commonly came with V8 engines of either 259-cid or 289-cid capacity while the interior was well equipped with semi-bucket seats and white-on-black instruments.

Along with a new-for-1960 Lark station wagon; the 1960 model year saw the introduction of the Lark convertible, the first Studebaker convertible since 1952. Both the Lark and the Hawk Series were available with either an L-head six-cylinder or an overhead valve V8 engine. The 169.6 cubic-inch six-cylinder unit offered 90 horsepower while the base 259.2 CID V8 offered 180 horsepower. An optional 289 CID was available on the Hawk, bringing horsepower to an impressive 210 hp.

The 1960 Studebakers were similar to their 1959 siblings. The exterior trim differences between the Regal and the DeLuxe remained basically the same as in 1959. The Econ-O-Miler continued to be a long-wheelbase, 4-door sedan with Lark styling.

The 'Silver' name was dropped from the Hawk's title. The 'Hawk' nameplate could also be found on the rear fins. Another distinguishing feature of the 2-door coupe Hawk were red background Hawk emblems and imitation louvers on the front edge of the fins.

For 1962, the Studebaker Hawk, now called the Gran Turismo Hawk, lost its fins, was given a squared roofline, and received rocker panel moldings. The 'Hawk' name could be found on the deck lid and 'Gran Turismo' script was located on the doors. The six-cylinder version was only sold outside North America.

The 1962 six-cylinder engine displaced 169.6 cubic-inches and developed 112 horsepower. The Base overhead valve V8 engine displaced 259.2 CID and developed 180 hp while the optional 289 CID V8 produced 210 horsepower.

Production of Studebakers at South Bend officially ceased in 1964, although the Avanti carried on for several more years.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017

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