Mercedes-Benz is one of the automotive industry’s oldest and most respected brands. During the mid-1950’s, Daimler-Benz, producers of Mercedes-Benz (M-B) automobiles, was looking to expand its market in the U.S. An agreement was reached in 1957 for Studebaker-Packard to serve as the U.S. distributor for Mercedes-Benz products. M-B, which sold...

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...

“I had just the kind of race I had planned. My idea was to start cautiously and gradually speed up. I’ve been racing at Indianapolis since 1926 - ran second once, third once, and last year drove relief for Louie Schneider, who won. I knew that a lot of cars...

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...

What is Studebaker’s tie to NASA? Or Notre Dame football? Ever hear of the Garford automobile? The Flanders? What about Studebaker’s relationship with Mercedes-Benz? While many identify the Studebaker Corporation as builders of wagons, buggies and automobiles, the company’s reach extended far beyond its Studebaker-branded products. In the early 1900s,...

Studebaker’s Coupe Express foreshadowed the passenger car based trucks of the late 1950’s. It was based on the Studebaker Dictator, sharing its chassis and many body components with that model.  The Coupe Express was produced from 1937-1939, and was updated each year to reflect the latest Studebaker passenger car designs....

The Scarab was the brainchild of William Stout, an automotive and aviation designer and engineer. The Scarab’s uni-body construction and rear-engine placement allows for an expansive interior space. The interior arrangement foreshadowed today’s minivan and features movable seats with a folding table. On its hood is the ancient Egyptian motif...

Jacob Studebaker, the youngest son of John C. and Rebecca Studebaker’s thirteen children, was born in Ashland County, Ohio on May 23, 1844. He moved with the family to South Bend in 1851. At age 13 he took work as a farmhand earning six dollars a month, and was later...

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...

I knew after the first few laps of the race that the terrific pace the leaders were setting would soon wear out most of the cars so I chose to hold my average speed within striking distance and made a definite bid for a formidable position later on. In the...