Missing Hawk from mid 80's

[Studebaker Scott]

As a teen I was really into Studebakers and did an amateur resto of a 59 Silver Hawk in 1981. In 1986 or 1987, I loaned the car to a college friend who never returned it. He said it broke down on the expressway near Flint, Michigan and that it had disappeared when he went back for it days later. He did not file a police report or even tell me it was gone.

I learned it was missing months later and I filed police reports with flint area police departments. No luck.

The borrower lived near in the Clarkston and Farmington areas.

I know this is a long shot, but I would sure like to know what happened to this car. It was a red V8 with a red interior. The engine was not original--it was from a Studebaker truck--the car had 6 cylinder trim because the car originally had a 6 cylinder.

Anyone from Michigan have any news or leads?

[Welcome]

WELCOME ...to the SDC Forum!!!


Wow ...with "friends" like that who needs "enemies"!!!


IF …MI was anything like IN back then, most likely it was considered an "abandoned vehicle" and towed by some towing business to a hold lot. IF …not claimed and towing & storage costs were not paid for within a certain amount of time, vehicles were sold by auction, usually to scrappers/junk yards. In South Bend back in the late 60s thru late 70s perhaps many hundreds of Studebakers met their end in this fashion!

[55s]

Some friend.
Perhaps too much time has passed.
Do you have any more information, such as serial numbers? With this much passage of time, it could be a different color and have a different interior even if it survived. My guess is that the odds on finding this a car are very low, and its value at that time would not be very much. (less than $1,000)
Did you receive any insurance money? If so, the car, if found, would belong to the insurance company.

[sweetolbob]

As a teen I was really into Studebakers and did an amateur resto of a 59 Silver Hawk in 1981. In 1986 or 1987, I loaned the car to a college friend who never returned it. He said it broke down on the expressway near Flint, Michigan and that it had disappeared when he went back for it days later. He did not file a police report or even tell me it was gone.

I learned it was missing months later and I filed police reports with flint area police departments. No luck.

The borrower lived near in the Clarkston and Farmington areas.

I know this is a long shot, but I would sure like to know what happened to this car. It was a red V8 with a red interior. The engine was not original--it was from a Studebaker truck--the car had 6 cylinder trim because the car originally had a 6 cylinder.

Anyone from Michigan have any news or leads?

If the police report was filed with a VIN # then there is possibly a chance that it will turn up at some point. But I have to believe that without the VIN, the Police just filed the paper work and went on with life.

Without a reported VIN, It could well have been retitled years ago and sold several times.

In real life, I'll bet it went to an impound yard, was sold for storage fees and has been obscured in the fog of time.

IIWY, I'd talk to the Genesee County (Flint) Sheriffs office and see if any of the impound yards are still in existence and give 'em a call. A small chance after 25 or so years but about the only option I can come up with other than contacting the SOS office if you have the VIN.

If you have the VIN, Google it, you never know when/if it came up in a discussion somewhere.

Good Luck, Bob

[Studebaker Scott]

I tried tracking it down at towing lots when I learned it was missing, but no luck. I suspect that the Flint highway story was bogus anyway.

The invention of the internet (and this forum) sure make for more options. I wish they existed back in 1987!

[Studebaker Scott]

No, the car was insured PLPD only. No theft coverage (I was a broke college student at the time).

My guess is also that too much time has passed, but I've always wondered what really happened to the car.

[Studebaker Scott]

It never occurred to me to Google the VIN. That is a great idea.

[candbstudebakers]

Scott, why not trying starting over from the beginning and find the guy you loaned the car to, maybe now after all these years he might tell you the truth, like you say now days with the internet things have more access even the other guy, give it a try one never knows, good luck.

[8E45E]

The main clue would be a '59S' serial number with a V8 under the hood. It would be a '59V' serial number if it originally came with a 259.

Craig

[studegary]

There were only 2417 six cylinder Hawks built for the 1959 model year, so the sample size is not huge.