Commander Fender "Emblems" on my '56Power Hawk

[Neal]

My recently purchased 1956 Power Hawk has Commander "emblems" (sorry, don't know the right term) on both front fenders. Can anyone confirm if those were standard on the Power Hawk when it left the factory in Canada or if they were an after market addition? I know the Commander was the basis for the Power Hawk but I'm curious about the Commander tagging on the fenders. Does anyone know for sure?? Thanks for the help. Neal

[STEWDI]

Sorry Neal. l have known of only about 5 road-worthy PowerHawks (plus one in a field) in southern Ontario (is that where you bought yours from?) in my 40 years of SDCing - and the one l used to own was from California. None that l have ever seen had the Commander scripts or "emblem" that l can recall. l obviously missed yours! l have a good feeling that they were affixed by a good-intentioned "restorer" but were not done at the factory - unless, of course, the first purchaser was a Hamilton factory worker or a relative who wanted to make sure his friends knew that he had V8 "Power" under the hood, and not a Champion six - as in "Flight" Hawk (just very "thin" speculation).

In any case, congrats on owning a very rare survivor!

[Neal]

Thanks, Roger. Somehow Power Hawk made it's way from a Hamilton dealership to a barn in Michigan...

[StudeRich]

Early 1956 Power Hawks had nothing on the Front Fenders, later in Production a "Studebaker" Nameplate was added.

There are "Some" '56 Power Hawks with the V8 Emblem After the Studebaker Nameplate, they may be Late Los Angeles builds that I am more familiar with.

This is the Nameplate used in '56
You can Left Click this Photo 2 or 3 Times.

[mbstude]

The “Studebaker” and “Commander” nameplates (along with a few others) from that era all use the same mounting hole arrangement, so the nameplates are easily interchanged.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

This 56J has the Studebaker nameplate with a V8 emblem underneath it. IIRC the very late 56J that my family had in the 1960s was like this. Of course, we need more data to prove anything.

mbstude: Thanks. My next order to y'all will include that parts catalog.
--Dwight

[mbstude]

This 56J has the Studebaker nameplate with a V8 emblem underneath it. IIRC the very late 56J that my family had in the 1960s was like this. Of course, we need more data to prove anything.
--Dwight

It’s all in the parts catalog.

[StudeRich]

I think They finally got it Right in '57 !


Adding the 289 Engine to USA sold Coupes and the President "289" Flagged V8 Emblem WITH and under the "Studebaker" nameplate !

< Here's Our Power Hawk with the same Look that I modified in '63, when I was a reckless 20 Yr. Old! .

The Original Owner that Dad sold it to, and bought it himself later in '62, is responsible for the "Power Hawk" Nameplates on the Rear Fenders though, Not Me.