As Studebaker struggled to remain relevant in the late 1950s, its finances forced a rationalization of the Hawk flock. Coming into 1957, the four models – Sky, Flight, Power and Golden – were reduced to just two. The Silver Hawk occupied the lower tier, while the Golden Hawk offered buyers more power and a deluxe interior – for at least a thousand dollars more than its lesser sibling. This example is located in Littlefield, Texas. It’s listed here on facebook Marketplace at an asking price of $24,000. Lightly patina’d, it is said to be in “very nice condition”. T.J. found this tip for us – thanks, T.J.

Studebaker’s V8 development took a Jekyll and Hyde approach: the company couldn’t decide if it should go for all-out horsepower, or stick with economy. Its 232 cu. in. V8 was introduced in 1951 and while it met the market need at the time, it was heavy and conservatively engineered internally. These characteristics rendered it less amenable to repetitive increases in displacement. No wonder Studebaker reached for Packard’s 352 cu. in. V8 when it introduced the Golden Hawk – the big lump offered an easy route to performance. The demise of Packard left the 1957 Golden Hawk without an obvious engine solution, so Studebaker fitted a McCulloch supercharger to its 289, and voilà! Output matched the Packard’s 275 bhp. Most Golden Hawks were equipped with a Flight-o-Matic automatic from Borg Warner. This car has the column-shift three speed manual with overdrive. In terms of straight-line speed, the Golden Hawk was satisfying, but its handling did not lend confidence.

The personal luxury car niche hadn’t been invented when Studebaker launched the Golden Hawk in 1956 – in fact the four-seat 1958 Ford Thunderbird is usually considered the first of the breed. But this pillarless hardtop with its detail-laden interior and generous seating should be considered a contender for the crown. The Golden Hawk features an engine-turned instrument panel, full carpeting, and a wide variety of interior color choices. This interior could use a weekend’s worth of cleaning before making a judgment about renovation.

Tiara Gold paint accented by Arctic White coves fits Bob Bourke’s styling lines nicely. Bourke borrowed from Raymond Loewy’s earlier Starliner coupe, adding fins and updating the grille to attract new buyers. The hood was new for 1957, employing a shallow “hump” to clear the supercharger. Given the competitive landscape in the mid 1950s, the Golden Hawk was a worthy entry into the market – it was fast, beautiful, and seated four. That said, it didn’t sell in numbers enough to repair Studebaker’s finances, making the Golden Hawk a rare car today. Fewer than 10,000 were made. That’s given a boost to prices over the years; nice Golden Hawks routinely sell at the $40k mark, and examples represented by major auction houses will crack $80k. What do you think – nice price, or no dice?