What is the sign of an enduring design? I’m not quite sure I can pinpoint that, but my eyes can identify it. Our Pick of the Day could be used to show how a clever restyle can reinvigorate a car that is long in the tooth. This 1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Savannah, Georgia.
A case could be made that the Loewy/Bourke 1953 Studebaker coupes are the most handsome American cars of the 1950s. The two-door hardtop was called the Starliner, while the coupe (with B-pillar) was called the Starlight. Both styles were available as the V8-powered Commander and six-cylinder Champion. The key to their lithe looks was a 120.5-inch wheelbase, four inches longer than the four-door sedans’ except the Land Cruiser. This helped the coupes achieve a height more than four inches lower than the sedans’, though a lot of that involved clever design and engineering from Bob Bourke’s skilled hand and Studebaker, respectively.
For 1955, Studebaker added a chrome-y front bumper and a new, fancy personal luxury model within the reintroduced President series called the Speedster. It was a one-year-only model, to be replaced in spirit by the 1956 Golden Hawk, one of four Hawk models that included the Sky Hawk hardtop and Power Hawk and Flight Hawk coupes. Each Hawk model corresponded to different trim levels shared with the sedans, which were restyled with a distinct look from the coupes. Most noticeable with the coupes was the grafting of a Mercedes-like grille. In 1959, the Hawk became the only surviving full-size Studebaker. This style, with typical yearly changes, was produced through 1961, the year a four-speed manual became available.
The Hawk was already quite long in the tooth by then, but Studebaker commissioned Brooks Stevens for restyling the entire Studebaker line. For the Hawk, he squared up the styling to something more contemporary and sophisticated to the point where no one would have guessed this car was in its tenth year, once again eliciting comments on being European-inspired. Now renamed Gran Turismo Hawk, it gained the option of a supercharger for 1963-64. Inside, the instrument panel was redesigned to include “direct-reading sports-type instrumentation to provide driver with full, instant information,” though a tachometer was optional. This car would be produced through the 1964 model year, upon which Studebaker would only produce compacts through 1966, as the Avanti was also discontinued.
This 1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk is finished in Ermine White over a two-tone red and white interior. The current owner originally bought it to participate in the 2025 Hemmings Great Race, a 2000-mile classic car rally. “Bumpers, trim, and glass are in excellent condition,” says the seller. “Factory steel wheels with hubcaps are wearing Hankook whitewalls with 2021 date codes.” The interior is characterized as being in good original condition with “patina” but no major wear. The under-dash air conditioning has been converted to R-134a and blows cold. Powering this classic personal luxury coupe is the R1 289, which offers 240 horsepower, backed by a three-speed automatic.
Considering its rallying experience, this GT Hawk is suitable to be driven in any climate, claims the seller. Driving is better than sitting in the garage, right? For $27,900, all you have to do is hop in and see the USA.
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