Studebaker Hawk?

[57 Silver Hawk]

Hi everyone,
When I was sorting some old pictures in archival room at 70 years old mail order company where I work. I found one enlargment print showing two antique cars parking outside the company. One at right looks like Studebaker Hawk model.[:0] Can it tell us what year and model is it? Thank you for any your help in advance!



Steven

[Dick Steinkamp]

Looks like a '53 Land Cruiser.

[StudeRich]

The first one is around a 1950 Nash? and the other is a 1953 Commander Land Cruiser, remember Hawks do not have 4 doors! [:0] [^]

Also notice that the fenders doors etc. (lower Body) on all sedans and Wagons are taller than Coupes/Hardtops and Hawks like yours.

StudeRich -Studebakers Northwest Ferndale, WA

[rockne10]

Rich,

I got a question, and I'll throw it out to everyone, not that it's the least bit important. I don't want to restart the engine/motor, wheel/rim or bus/coach discussion.

You refer to it as a Commander Land Cruiser. There were no Champion Land Cruisers. All Land Cruisers used Commander drivetrain. Was there any emblemage or sales literature that refered to the Land Cruiser as anything other than a Land Cruiser? Then again in the sixties, were there Cruisers and Lark Cruisers?

I ask because I don't know and, as I said, it's not really important.

[StudeDave57]

quote:Originally posted by rockne10

I got a question, and I'll throw it out to everyone, not that it's the least bit important. I don't want to restart the engine/motor, wheel/rim or bus/coach discussion.

Was there any emblemage or sales literature that refered to the Land Cruiser as anything other than a Land Cruiser?

On a Land Cruiser~
didn't the script on it's grille bar (I forget which side) say "Commander" [?] [?] [?]
I'm pretty sure I've also seen some with the "Commander" script on the decklid...

Wrong or right? I'm not sure, but I'm looking through my files to back it up.


StudeDave [8D]
San Diego, Ca.
San Diego County SDC

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

'54 Commander Regal 4dr 'Ruby'
'57 Parkview 'Betsy' (she's a 2dr wagon...)
'57 Commander DeLuxe 2dr 'Baby'
'57 Champion Custom 2dr 'Jewel'
'58 Packard sedan 'Cleo'
'65 Cruiser 'Sweet Pea'

Part owner of the one and only
'55 PROTOTYPE panel van

[Johnnywiffer]

quote:Originally posted by rockne10

Rich,

I got a question, and I'll throw it out to everyone, not that it's the least bit important. I don't want to restart the engine/motor, wheel/rim or bus/coach discussion.

You refer to it as a Commander Land Cruiser. There were no Champion Land Cruisers. All Land Cruisers used Commander drivetrain. Was there any emblemage or sales literature that refered to the Land Cruiser as anything other than a Land Cruiser? I ask because I don't know and, as I said, it's not really important.

[StudeRich]

Dave, one of the several Land Cruisers you have seen marked "Commander" is MY 1954!

But no, the deck lid script, ('53) deck lid trunk handle ('54's), AND the Grille I.D. nameplates all say "Land Cruiser" also the 1/4 panel nameplate.

So they are not [u]labeled</u> as Commander, but were often referred to as same, because MECHANICALLY they are Commanders (except the rear stabilizer bar) and even body wise, except the wheelbase, rear seat body area and rear doors/windows! [^]

quote:Originally posted by StudeDave57


I'm pretty sure I've also seen some with the "Commander" script on the decklid...Wrong or right? I'm not sure,

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[Johnnywiffer]

quote:Originally posted by StudeRich

Dave, one of the several Land Cruisers you have seen marked "Commander" is MY 1954!

But no, the deck lid script, ('53) deck lid trunk handle ('54's), AND the Grille I.D. nameplates all say "Land Cruiser" also the 1/4 panel nameplate.

quote:Originally posted by StudeDave57


I'm pretty sure I've also seen some with the "Commander" script on the decklid...Wrong or right? I'm not sure,

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

You may be right about the "Land Cruiser" deck lid emblem on the '53 but I have never seen one, only "Commander" kinda diagonal. Do you have a pic of a '53 Land Cruiser that came from the factory with "Land Cruiser" on the trunk?

John

[Dick Steinkamp]

I've never seen one with Commander anywhere on the car. Here's a '53 Land Cruiser I used to own...

[studegary]

The answer all depends on what model year you are referring to.
I went to some sales literature to reinforce my memory on this.

1948 - "Land Cruiser...powered by the brillant Commander engine" ref.: D-3-11-47
1949 - "Land Cruiser" (no mention of Commander) ref.: D-66-1-49
1953 - "V-8 Land Cruiser" ref.-187-2-53
1961 - "New Luxury Size Lark Cruiser" ref.: PD-61-16
1962 - "The Lark Cruiser" ref.: PD-62-08
1963 - "THE CRUISER - America's First and Only Limousette" (Avanti, Hawk and Cruiser were considered to be separate lines from the Lark) ref.: PD 63-14


Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[StudeRich]

Johnnie; you may be misreading my post, it says quote:"But no, the deck lid script, ('53) deck lid trunk handle ('54's), AND the Grille I.D. nameplates all say "Land Cruiser" also the 1/4 panel nameplate."

Just as Dick shows them, the ones like mine have been changed over the years, I've seen them with 2 Commanders, 2 Studebakers, a Champion with a Commander nameplate, a Commander with a Champion nameplate and a Land Cruiser with a Commander on the Grille Bar, that happens when someone gets one junkyard grille bar with the nameplates reversed left to right and installs it on a correct car [:0] [:0] Only the factory installed grille bars came with the nameplate, the replacement bars need the nameplate ordered separately.

The "Studebaker" goes on the RIGHT side, my '54 Land Cruiser has a "Commander" on the LEFT side. Of course none of this matters since as I said, they were sometimes "called" Commmanders pretty much unofficially, since they ARE mechanically! [:0]

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[Johnnywiffer]

Montage of my '54 LC.



Nothing about "Commander" anywhere I could see. But I'm sure that the side emblem was NOT on the early cars--or if it was, it was not in the early ads.

Here's a pic from the brochure (same pic in "Inside Facts"):


But here is a pic from an ad later in the year:


So to my tired mind, it's obvious there was a change somewhere along the line in '54. When and why? Quien sabes?

And as we all know, SOMETIMES the factory was notorious for slapping on whatever was handy at the time.

As for my seeing "Commander" on the trunk of a '53 LC, I'd really hate to swear to it. I think the "Commander" I saw may have been on my yellow/black '54 K.

By the way, does it seem that the black '53 LC in the 1st pic of this thread that started all this, does NOT have "Land Cruiser" on the trunk AND the back-up lights are mounted too high?

John

[Johnnywiffer]

quote:Originally posted by Studedude

John, is your Land Cruiser Bob Whiten's old car?


DAVE, THE EVIL TWIN FROM OKLAHOMA

Nope, it's Bob Whiten's WONDERFUL car!

John