A tongue-in-cheek view on Hawk design
To put a more positive spin on things, I thought it was right and proper to sit down and really think thematically about the stylistic changes that befell the Hawk line throughout its colorful history. It is no secret that designers borrow ideas from all over the place, so I tried my best to pinpoint what I thought the borrowings reminded me of in an at least a somewhat humorous manner.
1953-1955: The ancestor to the Hawk line is also the one that every Stude nut worth his battery hold-down wants. It is also a Francophone through and through, as the man most often associated with its creation was a Frenchman by blood. This design smacks of flowing beauties up in the stratosphere that us mere mortals have no chance of owning, those from such esteemed marques as Delahaye and Talbot-Lago. Cooking with garlic, wearing a beret, smoking excessively, and suddenly becoming unable to pronounce "hamburger" correctly is optional.
1956: After losing popularity, the previously Francophone coupe decided to shave its mustache and gain a lot more jewelry in order to be more like its peers. It also got into more markets, branching out into FOUR different trim levels instead of the previous two for some reason. The mac daddy, however, was the Golden Hawk. Dripping with enough chrome to envelop a Peel P50 and now possessing an upright radiator grille that was not-at-all Mercedes like *ahem* - the design was now Americanized.
1957-1958: In an unexpected bout of sanity, the Studebaker corporation decided to revert to the tried-and-true two trim method. Golden Hawk for the aforementioned Flash Gordon-mobile and Silver Hawk for a slightly more modest version. However, what was lost in trim levels was gained in the one thing that mattered most to be a somebody in the Atomic Age Automotive Arena. TAILFINS THAT STRETCHED TO THE SKY! The Hawk now could not be more Yankee Doodle Dandy if it had an AMC Eagle perched upon its fender as it toured through Yellowstone while eating a hot dog. George Washington would doubtlessly approve.
1959-1961: More of the same due to an acute case of director-induced broke-itis. It was now like the prototypical "Southern Belle". Still an American glory, but everyone knew just how faded she had become. Something had to change.
1962-1964: To the surprise of absolutely everyone, Studebaker had managed to do the impossible and make the Hawk fresh and new for '62. It had now lost it's all-American style in favor of what I view as a more English design. This was the first iteration of the Hawk to use wood accenting in the interior after all. This change is welcome by yours truly, as it very much reminds me of the Pommy tin that made me into a car enthusiast in the first place. While the exact car that made me so was a fire-engine red 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk. III, the GT Hawk specifically reminds me of the Hillman Minx and Sunbeam Rapier. Both of those Rootes Group cars I respect quite a bit because I view them a veritable giant killers, particularly the Sunbeam. Hurrah for that! While the Englishisms did pay off slightly with a welcome sales increase, it was not enough. The Hawk would not see a new generation.
1953-1955: The ancestor to the Hawk line is also the one that every Stude nut worth his battery hold-down wants. It is also a Francophone through and through, as the man most often associated with its creation was a Frenchman by blood. This design smacks of flowing beauties up in the stratosphere that us mere mortals have no chance of owning, those from such esteemed marques as Delahaye and Talbot-Lago. Cooking with garlic, wearing a beret, smoking excessively, and suddenly becoming unable to pronounce "hamburger" correctly is optional.
1956: After losing popularity, the previously Francophone coupe decided to shave its mustache and gain a lot more jewelry in order to be more like its peers. It also got into more markets, branching out into FOUR different trim levels instead of the previous two for some reason. The mac daddy, however, was the Golden Hawk. Dripping with enough chrome to envelop a Peel P50 and now possessing an upright radiator grille that was not-at-all Mercedes like *ahem* - the design was now Americanized.
1957-1958: In an unexpected bout of sanity, the Studebaker corporation decided to revert to the tried-and-true two trim method. Golden Hawk for the aforementioned Flash Gordon-mobile and Silver Hawk for a slightly more modest version. However, what was lost in trim levels was gained in the one thing that mattered most to be a somebody in the Atomic Age Automotive Arena. TAILFINS THAT STRETCHED TO THE SKY! The Hawk now could not be more Yankee Doodle Dandy if it had an AMC Eagle perched upon its fender as it toured through Yellowstone while eating a hot dog. George Washington would doubtlessly approve.
1959-1961: More of the same due to an acute case of director-induced broke-itis. It was now like the prototypical "Southern Belle". Still an American glory, but everyone knew just how faded she had become. Something had to change.
1962-1964: To the surprise of absolutely everyone, Studebaker had managed to do the impossible and make the Hawk fresh and new for '62. It had now lost it's all-American style in favor of what I view as a more English design. This was the first iteration of the Hawk to use wood accenting in the interior after all. This change is welcome by yours truly, as it very much reminds me of the Pommy tin that made me into a car enthusiast in the first place. While the exact car that made me so was a fire-engine red 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk. III, the GT Hawk specifically reminds me of the Hillman Minx and Sunbeam Rapier. Both of those Rootes Group cars I respect quite a bit because I view them a veritable giant killers, particularly the Sunbeam. Hurrah for that! While the Englishisms did pay off slightly with a welcome sales increase, it was not enough. The Hawk would not see a new generation.
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