'57 Golden Hawk

[alaipairod]

Hello Bob Palma,
In reference to you question about when our Hawk was assembled.
That date was 2/19/57.
The clock has a FEB 57 stamped on the barrel.
The factory order number is 46770.
The car at this point is a very reliable driver.
It's got 33500 miles on it.
I would really like to know how many were made in this configuration.
Factory black, OD 3 speed, Twin Traction Diff, Radio, Back up lights.......

[BobPalma]

Hi, Rodney:

It would be possible to answer your question, since all the 1957 Golden Hawk production records have been separated from the other 1957 "President" models. That's the good news.

The bad news is that there are 4,356 such individual sheets of paper(!), one for each car! Each would have to be individually examined to note the data thereon, such as you'd like to see. (So would I, for that matter.)

It is tedious work I've done at least three times, but never on that scale. I was part of a three-person team (with cousin George Krem and Turning Wheels founder Larry Swanson) that scanned 1962 V8 Production Records, looking for 1962 Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars and 500 Festival Cars. But we didn't have to look through all of them because we more-or-less knew where and when the first one likely appeared and, of course, none tagged for the 500 were built after the two actual Pace Cars (one a backup) were invoiced May 17, 1962.

George, Larry, and I returned years later to research all the 1958 Golden Hawk production records for George's 1958 Golden Hawk article that appeared in the September 2007 Turning Wheels. Still, that involved hand-scanning only 878 records, since 1958 Golden Hawk production was 'way down...but even that took the three of us the best part of two days, working as fast as we could and recording only basic information, not every nuance imaginable.

From that, you can extrapolate how long it would take one or two people working 8-hour days, to tally all the information from all 4,356 1957 Golden Hawk Production Orders. Not at all impossible, but it would consume a lot of time...and believe it or not, it does get tedious.

That said, is your car solid black? If it is solid black and has an unusual option combination like, say, back-up lights with overdrive but no power steering or brakes, I wouldn't be surprised to see a single-digit figure of cars exactly like yours. But that's only if you required that cars be configured exactly like yours, down to the last option.

In George's article you can see the percentage of 1958 Golden Hawks built with overdrive. From what I have seen, I believe the 1957 percentage would be about the same, but, if anything, perhaps a little higher in 1957 than 1958.

'Sorry I can't be of greater assistance, but now you have an idea of what this entails. BP

[studegary]

Note that for 1957 Golden Hawks, back up lights were technically optional, but according to Studebaker; "Will be installed at extra cost unless otherwise specified." This is similar to undercoating for many years. You got it and paid for it unless you specified not to get it.

[studegary]

What is the original engine number of your GH?

[alaipairod]

Hello Gary,

The engine number is PS 3962

[GThawkwind]

Wow that sound awesome! Black supercharged manual shift hawk.

[studegary]

Hello Gary,

The engine number is PS 3962

Mine was PS 3000, so yours was 962 engines later and probably approximately that number of Golden Hawks later than my black OD '57 GH.
Is that the original engine number and does the car still have that engine?