Studebaker History Part III late Post WWII
Studebaker didn’t have the cash to re-tool for the planed all new 1956 models. They retooled the 1953 sedan bodies with new front and rear sheet metal. The result was a handsome contemporary automobile. The added a new hood and trunk lid on the hardtop / coupe bodies to create a line of Hawks. The Golden Hawk has a Packard 352 cu in engine and grafted on fins.
By mid1956 they were in deep trouble and the Eisenhower Administration was worried about Studebaker’s military contracts. He convinced Curtis Wright Corp. to take over management duties. But Curtis Wright was more interested in acquiring Studebaker’s Military business than saving them.
After the end of Packard’s 1956 production they shut down their Detroit factory. The Packard engine in the Golden Hawk was replaced with a supercharged Studebaker 289.
All ’57 Studebaker got mildly restyled. There was still hope for an all new Packard, but meanwhile they built a ’57 Packard Clipper with the President's body and a supercharged 289V8.To boost over all sales the created the Scotsman 2door, 4door and wagon. They only came in 5 colors and only the bumpers were chrome, even the hubcaps were painted. Sales were strong enough that it convinced to develop the Lark.
For 1958 the Hawks changed little but the sedans had grafted on fins and Quad headlight pods and trim changes. That year they added a Hardtop to the sedan series. They continued with the Scotsman but with out fins or quad headlights. The corporation also built a Studebaker based Packard and the oddly styled Packard Hawk. They also acquired the North American Sales of Mercedes Benz .
For 1959 they parted ways with Curtis Wright and discontinued everything but the Silver Hawk Introduced in 1957 the Silver Hawk was a Coupe body and much lower priced than the Golden Hawk They had a new compact, the Lark. It was a shortened and yet again restyled 1953 design. In all the styling was good, but it was a bit too short. It was roomy and nicely appointed inside. With the optional 259 V8 it was faster than ¾ of the its contemporaries. In 1959 there was little competition in the compact sector and was a profitable year for Studebaker. They used much of their profits to diversify into profitable ventures.
For 1960 they changed the grille mesh, the interior and added a convertible, but with new compacts from the big their profits were small.
Here are late post war 1/43 models.
1956 Studebaker President Sedan from American Excellence / NEO
General Motors would have sold a lot of these.
1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk by Conquest
1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk. by Dinky (Corgi)
1957 Studebaker Broadmore (President) station wagon by Esval (coming soon)
1957 Studebaker Scotsman Sales Flyer. There are no 1/43 models of the Scotsman. They were a few Commander V8s built for Police Departments
1957 Packard Clipper sedan by Brooklin
1959 Studebaker Lark by Brooklin
Next week Part IV The Final Years
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