1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk Coupe

Description

Studebaker’s Gran Turismo Hawk was the last in a line of glamorous personal coupes dating back to Raymond Loewy’s original design of 1953.  New for 1962, a young industrial designer named Brooks Stevens successfully updated the Gran Turismo’s handsome styling, doing away with the previous model’s curves and fins and adding a distinctive squared-off roofline.  In keeping with styling trends of the day, the body was largely devoid of superfluous decoration, with the exception of chrome rocker panels, and both the interior and exterior abound in fabulous period details.  A key instigator of the Gran Turismo project was Studebaker’s new president, Sherwood Egbert, who was also responsible for the development of the avant-garde Avanti sports coupe of 1963.  Built on a 120-inch wheelbase, the Gran Turismo Hawk was Studebaker’s flagship model and buyers had a choice of either 259-cid or 289-cid V8s, with a six-cylinder model reserved for export only.  The so-called Pursuit Marshal 289 developed 210 horsepower while the optional Thunderbolt motor (equipped with a four barrel carburettor and higher compression ratio) raised the power output to 240 bhp, endowing the Grand Turismo Hawk with ample reserves of power and sparkling performance.  Always built in low numbers, particularly by American standards, just 1,548 Gran Turismo Hawks left the South Bend, Indiana factory in 1964 (plus a further 224 equipped with the smaller six-cylinder engine), production curtailed by the unfortunate closure of the factory on December 9, 1963.  Studebaker continued building the cheaper Commander and Cruiser models in Canada for a couple more years but the once proud marque is now but a distant memory for most automotive enthusiasts.