Silver Screen 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk

I’ve always been fascinated with the Studebaker Hawk. Their low-slung styling attracts me like a magnet when I see them at car shows. Fortunately, there are several Hawks in my neck of the woods in North Carolina that I regularly see being driven and enjoyed. They’re just cool-looking cars. Period. The seller is extremely light on this Hawk’s history in the Vehicle Details area only sharing that it has power steering, power brakes, and was in two recent movies: “The Fabelmans” and “He Went That Way.” This  impressive 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk is currently nesting in La Mirada, California and is for sale here on eBay. Bidding had reached $10,100 as of this writing and not met the seller’s reserve. A BIN price of $20,000 is also listed. Another thank you to our fine-feather friend, Larry D., for sending us this tip.

You can still see glimpses of Studebaker’s groundbreaking low-and-lean 1953 Lowey coupe. But by 1957, the Commander Starliner Coupe had evolved into the Hawk and had sprouted fins, more chrome, and looked more American than European in the styling department. Introduced a year earlier, Studebaker had hoped its new Hawk lineup – which it advertised as the first 5-passenger sports car – would turn business around  in 1956 and offered four separate trim levels: Flight Hawk, Power Hawk, Sky Hawk, and the top-of-the-line Golden Hawk. Well, it didn’t, and in 1957 the line was shrunk down to the hardtop, supercharged Golden Hawk and a less-ornate, sedan-version coupe named the Silver Hawk. In reviewing the photos, this Hawk looks impressive in its shiny Coppertone Metallic and Arctic White paint job. I’m not spotting any issues with the paint, chrome, trim, shiny stuff, glass, or wheel covers. I guess some judges didn’t either since there’s a photo of the seller holding a First Place Award he won at a California Studebaker’s Club car show.

The black and white interior is clean and looks to be in very good shape. Although the cloth inserts on the seats aren’t correct, they do look 50’s-era period correct. The tasteful instrument panel still retains the European styling cues of the ’53 Studebaker and the white steering wheel is in great shape. Sales literature bragged about the Hawk being a groundbreaking “family sports car.” The one and only car to “combine brilliant styling and performance with the versatility of a family car!” (Some will argue that the Hawk, not the 1958 Thunderbird, was America’s first four-seater personal luxury car.)

Silver Hawks came standard with a six cylinder, but this one left the factory with the optional 289-cubic-inch V8. Nothing is mentioned about how it runs or if it’s been rebuilt or if the 63,000 miles listed are original or not. In addition to power steering and power breaks, this Hawk also has an optional automatic transmission. Overall, this Silver Hawk looks shiny, clean, and impressive and I really like that Coppertone Metallic and Arctic White paint choice. No wonder it has won awards and appeared in two movies recently. What do you think about this silver-screen Silver Hawk?