Photo: jays1953vette/eBay
America's top-selling luxury carmaker before World War 2, Packard, ran into financial problems in the 1950s due to the brutal sales war between Ford and GM. As a result, it joined forces with Studebaker to create America's fourth-largest automaker.
Things didn't go as planned, though, and Packard lost its manufacturing and engine plants in 1956. The company managed to survive two more years on the market, but it did so selling repackaged Studebakers. The 1958 Packard Hawk is one of those cars.
A slightly fancier version of the Studebaker Golden Hawk, the Packard Hawk offered a few luxury extras like a full leather interior, padded armrests mounted outside the door windows, and shiny rear fins.
It also featured a revised front fascia. Instead of Studebaker's upright grille, the Hawk came with a wide, horizontal opening just above the front bumper. The styling was controversial, with the Hawk often compared to a catfish.
Similarities to the Studebaker Golden Hawk continued under the hood, where the Packard rocked a 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) V8 engine. However, the McCulloch supercharger that was optional on Studebakers came standard on the Hawk, giving the two-door hardtop 275 horsepower to play with. It also came with a limited-slip differential (which Studebaker-Packard dubbed Twin-Traction).
Introduced for the 1958 model year, the Hawk didn't spend a lot of time in showrooms. With Packard production halted in July that year, only 588 Hawks rolled off the assembly line before the company went belly up. Not only Packard's fastest vehicle, but the Hawk is also one of the rarest.
Sadly, since the Hawk wasn't exactly desirable back in the day, many examples were abandoned in junkyards or forgotten in storage. This example here is one of those cars. But even though it's in pretty rough shape, it's still salvageable.
Most likely a surf green model from the factory, this Hawk is now covered in surface corrosion almost entirely save for the front fascia and hood. There are a few rust holes, too, especially around the side sills and on the lower trunk lid, but the exterior is surprisingly complete.
The same goes for the cabin, which comes with a complete dashboard and door panels that seem to be in relatively good condition. But whoever buys this car will need to replace the upholstery and the floor panels. The V8 engine looks like it hasn't been fired up in decades, and it's safe to assume that it will need a full rebuild to run again.
All told, while it's not the most desirable Packard out there, this Hawk deserves to be saved and put back on the road again. If you're interested in doing that, the car is located in Austin, Texas, and comes with a $17,999 sticker via eBay seller "jays1953vette." For reference, Hawks in Excellent condition tend to change hands for more than $40,000.
A slightly fancier version of the Studebaker Golden Hawk, the Packard Hawk offered a few luxury extras like a full leather interior, padded armrests mounted outside the door windows, and shiny rear fins.
It also featured a revised front fascia. Instead of Studebaker's upright grille, the Hawk came with a wide, horizontal opening just above the front bumper. The styling was controversial, with the Hawk often compared to a catfish.
Similarities to the Studebaker Golden Hawk continued under the hood, where the Packard rocked a 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) V8 engine. However, the McCulloch supercharger that was optional on Studebakers came standard on the Hawk, giving the two-door hardtop 275 horsepower to play with. It also came with a limited-slip differential (which Studebaker-Packard dubbed Twin-Traction).
Introduced for the 1958 model year, the Hawk didn't spend a lot of time in showrooms. With Packard production halted in July that year, only 588 Hawks rolled off the assembly line before the company went belly up. Not only Packard's fastest vehicle, but the Hawk is also one of the rarest.
Sadly, since the Hawk wasn't exactly desirable back in the day, many examples were abandoned in junkyards or forgotten in storage. This example here is one of those cars. But even though it's in pretty rough shape, it's still salvageable.
Most likely a surf green model from the factory, this Hawk is now covered in surface corrosion almost entirely save for the front fascia and hood. There are a few rust holes, too, especially around the side sills and on the lower trunk lid, but the exterior is surprisingly complete.
The same goes for the cabin, which comes with a complete dashboard and door panels that seem to be in relatively good condition. But whoever buys this car will need to replace the upholstery and the floor panels. The V8 engine looks like it hasn't been fired up in decades, and it's safe to assume that it will need a full rebuild to run again.
All told, while it's not the most desirable Packard out there, this Hawk deserves to be saved and put back on the road again. If you're interested in doing that, the car is located in Austin, Texas, and comes with a $17,999 sticker via eBay seller "jays1953vette." For reference, Hawks in Excellent condition tend to change hands for more than $40,000.
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