A parking lot is a parking lot is a parking lot—unless it’s the Summit Racing parking lot. On any given day or time, the lot outside a Summit Racing store can turn into an impromptu mini car show, depending on who’s stopped by the store. Each Wednesday, we’ll share our parking lot find of the week—another benefit of being Powered by Summit Racing Equipment.
This Studebaker is likely to garner almost as many opinions as double takes.
It certainly made us look twice—maybe even three times—before we could even venture a guess on the year. We’ve narrowed it down to a radically modified 1956 or ’57-ish Golden Hawk. As if simply being a hawk with fins isn’t different enough, this particular Golden Hawk flies in the face of everything conventional with its custom truck bed and atomic green paint.
We give it points for creativity—how about you?
I have 4 Golden Hawks, the 1955 & 1956 have the Low Find & 1957 & 1958 have the Taller Fins like the Silver Hawks – the Silver Hawks & Hawks had the same ones as My Fathers 1957 & 1958 Golden Hawks, the Gran Turismo went back to the no find look & T-Bird Style Roofline! My father Sold Studebakers until there were none left to Sell in His Dealership after Studebaker stopped producing them in Canada (He Collected one from each year that the Raymond Loewy Designed “Starlight Coupe” Came out in 1953 and carried the 3H Body Code)! The 1954 carried the 4H Code ( which was the Designation For the Hawk Series Bodies) which was for the Longer Bodies used on All the Hawks Before the Gran Turismo Hawks! The Champions (6cylider) used the shorter Standard Body exclusively, the Commanders & Presidents were Built on Both Body Styles – Before 1955 None were called Hawks even though they were tooling up for the Debut of the Hawk Series as early as 1953!
I forgot to mention that My Father put 1 each of the Newest Model in Storage Each year of the Starlight Coupes (Commanders & Hawks) and Avantis, he never Licensed them or Drove them – When He Died My Brother and I inherited them there are 35 of them altogether with no added miles on the Odometers, My Brother was Killed Several Years Ago On The Job (He Was An ATF Agent working in California – My Half Sister and I have been building a Car Museum for the past few years to let people appreciate them, She and I will probably be Dead when the Last Car is finally detailed and put in the building for people to see them! My Sister & I have a few other Cars to go in there too after We Pass On (We are 73 & 76 years old! NONE OF OUR FATHERS CARS THAT I MENTIONED HAVE HAD ANY MODIFICATIONS DONE TO THEM! My Brothers & My Cars have all been Modified in one way or another!
Back in the Fifties Packard started building and selling their New models Every (2) Two years until they went out of business too!