One of my old Jr High teachers was a Stude nut. I think he was just out of college and had bought a new Hawk or something. He thought they were great cars. I run into him once in a while at faculty dinners and we always talk Studebakers. The test grounds in Indiana had the trees arranged to spell out “Studebaker” from the air. Really was a great company. That concept car looks like a cross between a Thunderbird and a Chrysler of that era.
“The test grounds in Indiana had the trees arranged to spell out “Studebaker” from the air.”
…and they are reportedly still visible, even if most folks seeing it from above have no clue about the significance.
Edited to add:
I didn’t see Texases’ photo before I posted.
However, this leads to an interesting question:
Since it is obvious that this is still used as an auto test facility of some sort…Who is using and maintaining it?
Us kids spent many hours riding in Mom’s 1953 Commander. More sleek than the Hawk to my eye:
I was at Ft. Lewis 1964-66. PFC Watson was a black intellectual with a college degree in chemistry. Like the rest of us in that artillery unit, (6/32 Arty) he spent his days washing trucks and mowing lawns, a tremendous waste of talent. (In his case, not mine. In those days I had no talent.)
He went home on leave to the east coast, and brought back his Avanti. He said he opened it up just once somewhere in the isolated west. I don’t remember after 50 years how fast he said he had it, but I think it was over 140 indicated, but I don’t think it was the full 160 the ads claimed.
One of the big companies should do a “sequel” (a la New Beetle, PT Cruiser etc.)
Thanks for the pic of the proving grounds. My dad had a Lark as a commuter but danged if I remember what year it was-I think a 62 or something. Nothing wrong with it at all for what it was. Something just looks a little off with that Avanti design though. I think it needed a grill and the standard four headlights. Then maybe pull the bubble out of the fender and straighten the line a little. Actually though it could have looked a little like the Riviera back then with a few changes.
The lack of a grill is one of the best things about the Avanti to me.
But then I don’t like the new Toyotas with the big gaping grill.
Our 58 Chev had that large front hood area that is similar. It did have a grill but the hood was really a trouble spot for bugs and sand blasting. Only after a couple years the front of the hood needed to be repainted it was so sand blasted. I agree though, those trapazoid grill areas are terrible and look like pieces of the front end are missing. To each their own though, is why there are or were anyway, different styles.
Studebaker almost became a cult car. My brother had a 1963 Studebaker Lark. In 1968, he was worried about getting parts and was looking for a replacement car. He was looking at the used car ads in the newspaper and saw a listing at the Buick dealer for a 1963 Buick for a really low price. When he checked the Buick out, it seemed like a great car. The mileage was low and there was no sign that the car had ever been wrecked. He was offered a great deal on a trade for his Studebaker – in fact in was so good my brother was about to walk away. The dealer finally leveled with him. The Buick was a LeSabre with a manual transmission and no power steering or power brakes. Nobody wanted a Buick like that. On the other hand, the dealer had a weekly visit from a young woman who had to have a Studebaker. She made the rounds of all the dealerships for the right Studebaker. In fact, shs had examined my brother’s Studebaker while he was road testing the Buick. My brother traded for the Buick at a great price and it proved to be a good car. The young woman bought his Studebaker on the spot, the dealer made a small profit and everyone was happy.
I had a friend in high school who drove Studebaker Larks. The only less cool car in the parking lot was if my current hot rod was broke and I drove the 1960 Rambler Custom that was my back-up car! His final Lark was a 289 3 speed M/T. It was fairly impressive.
In college I dated a librarian who had a black Studebaker Lark . It was the base model and she dressed severely in black. They made a good pair.
Lexus grills are a bit much for me. I’m trying to get used to the GS350 front end, but it isn’t happening yet.
I agree, they are ugly-ugly-ugly
Almost? It DID become a cult car!
Triedaq:I would have enjoyed that LeSaber. 1963 power steering and brakes were vague and touchy. The 1963 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible 421 cu in tri-power 390hp that I purchased when I was 15 years old had those features. The “go pedal” worked quite well! Perfect car for a 15 year old!
The Grille work on most cars today…seem…in my messed up head…to be either Friendly…or Angry. Funny that…
I cannot think of any other time in history when automobile grille work became such an obvious “countenance”. Even though we usually have a silly preoccupation with Anthropomorphizing inanimate objects… Seems today it is blatantly obvious and really cannot be ignored.
…and now I must lie down from my heavy use of vocabulary…I need to remind myself that Im just a dumb mechanic… 
Blackbird
I’m watching the Kansas City Mecum auction. A 1963 Studebaker GT Hawk just rolled across the block. Gorgeous red with a 4 speed M/T! It stalled at $13,000 and did not sell. If I had a chance to inspect it and have a mechanical check done I would burst a ball point into flames writing a $15,000 check!
1963 Studebaker GT Hawk: a great looking car. Here are a couple of photos.
I only stopped buying Studebaker s because they stopped making them. Liked every one I had, but the one I lusted over but never got was the 55 Speedster in Lemon and Lime.