It was the question that plagued Studebaker’s design team: “How can we make the 1963 GT Hawk better than last year?” After noted designer Brooks Stevens captured the essence of previous Studebaker Hawks in a sleek, contemporary body for 1962 that more than doubled Hawk sales, Studebaker engineers racked their brains for an answer. For this difficult problem, a solution lay close to home. The team needed to look no further than the Hawk’s speed-record-breaking sibling, the Avanti. An injection of some Avanti DNA, in the form of high-performance engines, and a few chassis upgrades were the keys to making the Gran Turismo Hawk better for ’63.

GT Hawk Engines for 1963

Four 289 cubic-inch engines were offered for 1963. The standard engine had a two-barrel carburetor and produced 210 horsepower. An optional 289 engine with a four-barrel carburetor making 225 horsepower was the next step up. Then came the Avanti DNA–two optional “Jet Thrust” Avanti engines. The R1, a naturally aspirated engine, gave the driver 240 horsepower to enjoy, while the top-of-the-line, supercharged R2 engine made 289 horsepower, one horsepower per cubic inch of displacement. The broad range of engines allowed owners to make their GT Hawks anything they wanted them to be, from an economical luxury cruiser to a supercharged hot rod. Available transmissions included a standard three-speed manual, a three-speed with overdrive, a four-speed manual, the “Flight-O-Matic” column-shift automatic, or the Powershift automatic with the shift lever on the floor.

Styling Changes for ‘63

In view of the major styling changes for 1962, only minor restyling was on the table for 1963. Round amber parking lights were located in the side grilles below the headlights and the grilles were now closed off by a panel having a pattern of bright lines over fine mesh. The same pattern of bright lines over fine mesh carried over onto the main grille. The doors carried new red, white and blue emblems next to the “Gran Turismo” script, and other red, white, and blue emblems graced the grille and the trunk lid. New headlamp bezels and a new deck lid facia completed the transformation.

Inside, early in 1963 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.

GT Hawk Performance

The GT Hawk weighed in between 3,200 and 3,400 pounds depending on optional equipment, but with the new optional “Jet Thrust” engines, it could still get up and go. Motor Trend  reported 0 to 60 mph times of about 8.5 seconds and a standing quarter-mile time of 16,8 seconds. Not too bad for a stock family car in the sixties.

The real performance eye-opener was left to Andy Granatelli, noted speed merchant and vice president of Studebaker’s Paxton Products division, who made a run of over 140 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats in a production 1963 Hawk with the R2 engine.

The Super Hawk

As a complement to the “Jet Thrust” R1 and R2 engines, Studebaker also introduced the high-performance “Super” package in early 1963 mainly to improve the handling of the GT Hawk chassis. The “Super” package equipment included heavy-duty springs and shocks front and rear, front seat belts, front disc brakes, rear stabilizer bar, radius rods, and either a four-speed manual or Powershift automatic transmission. When the “Super” package option was selected, the car became known as a Super Hawk. Car experts generally reported that the GT Hawk with the Super package had surprisingly good handling for a contemporary American car.

1963 GT Hawk Production

Price when new was about $3,095.  Production numbers can be found in the below chart.

Museum GT Super Hawk
A special Super Red Metallic paint, as seen on our museum car, was available only on Super Lark and Super Hawk models. The museum car is one of only forty-four 1963 Super Hawks made and is exhibited through the courtesy of Nelson Bove.

The post 1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk by Bruce Troxell appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.

The Hawk received a restyle for 1962 and was reborn as the Gran Turismo Hawk. The redesign was handled by Brooks Stevens, who also freshened Studebaker’s 1962 Lark line.

Optional equipment for 1963 included the Avanti’s high-performance engines and disc brakes. In early 1963, Studebaker introduced a special high-performance package for the Hawk and Lark line. Cars so equipped were dubbed “Super Hawk” and “Super Lark.” This car is one of the 44 supercharged “Super Hawks” built.

Exhibited through the courtesy of Nelson Bove

About this Series

Birds of a Feather: Studebaker Hawks was on display at the Museum in 2020.  This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.

The post 1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.

New features for the 1961 Hawk included an optional four-speed transmission, bucket seats and a rear fender color accent stripe. 1961 was also the final year for the Hawk’s tail fins and five-window coupe body style.  The new four-speed transmission was a popular option, as 40% of all Hawks built were so equipped.

Gift of a Friend of the Museum

About this Series

Birds of a Feather: Studebaker Hawks was on display at the Museum in 2020.  This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.

The post 1961 Studebaker Hawk appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.

The Packard Hawk began life as a special project for Curtiss-Wright executive Roy Hurley. It features the same drivetrain as Studebaker’s Golden Hawk along with a leather interior.

The distinctive Packard Hawk hood and nose were made of fiberglass. The Packard Hawk resurrected Studebaker’s ‘53-’55 models’ trunk lid topped with an imitation spare-tire overlay.

Gift of Charles S. Hayes, South Bend, Indiana

About this Series

Birds of a Feather: Studebaker Hawks was on display at the Museum in 2020.  This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.

The post 1958 Packard Hawk appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.

The luxurious 1957 Golden Hawk 400 debuted in April of 1957 as a premium edition of Studebaker’s top Hawk model. Additional 400 features included a leather interior, special paint, and an upholstered trunk.

Just 51 1957 Golden Hawk 400’s were built – 10 show cars, and 41 regular production examples. Just a handful of Golden Hawk 400’s are known to survive.

Gift of William Seidel, Grand Junction, Colorado

About this Series

Birds of a Feather: Studebaker Hawks was on display at the Museum in 2020.  This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.

The post 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk 400 appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.

The Golden Hawk was Studebaker’s flagship model in 1956. It featured Packard’s 275-horsepower 352 cubic-inch V8 engine and was one of the fastest cars on the road that year.  The 1956 Golden Hawk was the first Studebaker automobile to feature tail fins. The ‘56 Golden Hawk’s fins were made of fiberglass, while ‘57 and later Hawk fins were steel.

Gift of Roy Pearson, Decatur, Michigan

About this Series

Birds of a Feather: Studebaker Hawks was on display at the Museum in 2020.  This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.

The post 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.

The Flight Hawk was Studebaker’s entry-level Hawk model in 1956. It was available as a five-window coupe for domestic sales but also as a hardtop body in export markets.  Power came from Studebaker’s economical Champion six-cylinder engine. Transmission choices included a three-speed manual, overdrive, and automatic gearboxes.

Gift of Theodore Diemer

About this Series

Birds of a Feather: Studebaker Hawks was on display at the Museum in 2020.  This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.

The post 1956 Studebaker Flight Hawk appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.

1. 259 V8 and 170 six available in export markets.
2. Add 15 hp with four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. Add 30 hp for Avanti R1 engine.  Add 79 hp for supercharged Avanti R2 engine.

About this Series

Birds of a Feather: Studebaker Hawks was on display at the Museum in 2020.  This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.

The post 1963 Studebaker Hawks appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.

The Hawk’s final year saw minor changes from 1963, with a redesigned deck lid and an optional vinyl roof being the most notable, and the Avanti’s high-performance options continued from 1963. Hawk production ceased on December 20, 1963 with the closing of Studebaker’s South Bend plant.

1. 259 V8 and 170 six available in export markets. 304.5 V8 engine offered, but no production examples built.
2. Add 15 hp with four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. Add 30 hp for Avanti R1 engine. Add 79 hp for supercharged Avanti R2 engine. Add 125 hp for supercharged 304.5 cubic inch Avanti R3 engine. Add 80 hp for unsupercharged 304.5 cubic inch Avanti R4 engine.

About this Series

Birds of a Feather: Studebaker Hawks was on display at the Museum in 2020.  This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.

The post 1964 Studebaker Hawks appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.

1. 259 V8 and 170 six available in export markets.
2. Add 15 hp with four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust.

About this Series

Birds of a Feather: Studebaker Hawks was on display at the Museum in 2020.  This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.

The post 1962 Studebaker Hawks appeared first on The Studebaker National Museum.