Studebaker Hawk Golden Hawk

Studebaker Hawk Golden Hawk

The Studebaker Golden Hawk represents one of the great underdog stories in American automotive performance history. When the small, struggling South Bend, Indiana manufacturer needed a flagship to compete against the big-block V8s from Detroit's Big Three, it turned to supercharging — and produced the fastest American production car of 1957 in the process.

The Hawk lineage began with Raymond Loewy's legendary 1953 Studebaker Starliner coupé, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful American cars ever designed. By 1956, the basic body had been evolved into the Hawk series, with the Golden Hawk sitting at the top of the range. Initially powered by a heavy Packard 352 V8 (following Studebaker-Packard's merger), the Golden Hawk was handicapped by the big engine's weight over the front wheels.

For 1957, Studebaker engineer Otis Riley found an elegant solution: replace the heavy Packard V8 with Studebaker's own lighter 289 cubic inch V8, fitted with a McCulloch/Paxton centrifugal supercharger. The result was 275 horsepower from a package that weighed significantly less than the Packard engine, transforming the Golden Hawk's handling and acceleration. Magazine tests recorded 0-60 mph times of approximately 7.8 seconds — faster than any other American production car that year.

The Paxton supercharger was an unusual choice for a production car. Unlike the belt-driven Roots-type blowers used by a few competitors, the centrifugal design provided progressive boost that increased with engine speed, creating a power delivery that felt more natural than the instant-on characteristic of positive displacement blowers. At full boost, the supercharger added approximately 5 psi, sufficient to transform the modest 289 V8 into a genuinely powerful engine.

Visually, the 1957 Golden Hawk was distinguished by a dramatic tailfin treatment, a specific grille design, and gold-anodized trim that justified its name. The interior featured a comprehensive instrument panel and comfortable bucket-style seats. Build quality was good, reflecting Studebaker's craftsman tradition.

Studebaker produced only 4,071 Golden Hawks for 1957, making it rare even when new. The model's combination of stunning design, innovative engineering, and genuine performance credentials has made it one of the most sought-after Studebakers, and values have increased significantly as collectors recognize the Golden Hawk's unique place in American automotive history.