Car: Studebaker Hawk
Year: 1961
What makes it special: Many Studebaker Hawk fans feel that Studebaker saved the “Best for last” with their 1961 Hawk model. The overall reasoning was the first-time availability of a Borg-Warner 4-speed, floor-shifted manual transmission. The company announced that only 6,110 would be produced for the ’61 model year, each fitted with a special numbered dash plaque engraved with the buyer’s name. As it turned out, only 3,929 were built.
What made it famous: The 1961 Studebaker Hawk wore Raymond Loewry-inspired styling. It had an athletic, sporty appearance with its low stance and aggressive radiator with small fiberglass fins at its rear. Power came from a 185 cu in, “L-Head” inline-6 cylinder, 259 cu in or 289 cu in V8. The Golden Hawk model was equipped with a 275hp, 352 cu in V8.
Why I would want one: Admittedly, I thought this model was ugly due to its front radiator, but over the years I’ve grown to appreciate and love its looks.
Fun fact: Top speed was 120mph according to the Hawk’s dashboard speedometer, though its actual speed was probably closer 10 115mph.
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