Car of the Week: 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk

dodgechargerfan

dodgechargerfan

In a 55 gallon drum, floating down river, and
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1957-Silver-Hawk-10.jpg

A lot of longtime old car guys have found out that if you look long enough and hard enough for a car, the break you are hoping for will probably come eventually.

And good fortune usually shows up when you least expect it.

Such was the case for Tom Upham, of Janesville, Wis., who spotted a strange ad back in 2009 offering to trade a 1957 Studebaker for a pontoon boat. “At the time we were looking for a ’53 Studebaker because that was my very first car when I got out of the Navy,” Upham recalled. “We happened to see this little ad in some magazine. I called the guy and told him I didn’t have a pontoon boat, but I was interested in looking at the car.”

The car was located in Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, and Upham picked a miserable winter day to go check it out. “We went down there to look at it and it was buried in a garage. We had to shovel snow to get in the garage. It was like 20-below [zero] — it was in January. We were able to find out that the engine was free on it so we made an offer and the guy took the offer, and when he got ready to sign the paperwork over he had the title from the original owner .. He bought the car but hadn’t titled it … So we made arrangements to go get it two weeks later and we went down with four guys and a trailer and we couldn’t budge the car. We couldn’t move it. It took a come-along to get it out of the garage … We winched it onto the trailer and took it home.”

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dodgechargerfan said:
It was like 20-below [zero] — it was in January.
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January 16th, 2009 the temp dropped to -28 in Chicago;

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Not A Duster said:
Ghaaaa no! Mommy! Make it go away!!!!!
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That seems to be the battle cry of the Studebaker owner. You wouldn't believe how many of these things pop up in the Hemmings thread. Talk about a buyer's market... probably because no one wants to buy one. :doh:
 
Dr.Jass said:
That seems to be the battle cry of the Studebaker owner.
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They do have a very small following. It's sad that a company with such advanced thinking in engineering and aerodynamics couldn't accomplish it in a more appealing package. :(
 
Remember, our man Exner worked under, and was a disciple of Loewy. Exner's designs are what got me into cars. Diagonal headlights, and squircle steering wheels are awesome. Free standing headlights and pushbutton transmissions give me the kneesweats. Bombsight taillights and glowing domes give me feelings I first heard about in health class. The '61 Fury looks like George Jetson took a fistful of LSD and designed a car. It is in the top five of cars I want to own. However if you put it next to a '61 Bel Air, it's not hard to see that one is conventionally pretty, and one was designed by Homer Simpson comparatively. The '61 Phoenix/Pioneer/Seneca is even more of an example. We too, are the ugly ducklings. Brand X guys make fun of our ugly cars, and funny sounding starters. Studebakers and AMC are kind of family in a way.. Technologically advanced underdogs in a package that to most people, looks like it got beat with a bag of hot nickels. Seventies B bodies aren't exactly the Mona Lisa either if we're honest.. Awesome looking yes, but they're sort of "damaged hot" next to the Chevelle's "cheerleader hot" (let's face it, Chevelles are actually "trailer trash hot" because that's where most of them park)
 
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That particular Silver Hawk doesn't light my fire, but I wouldn't be hiding my face when driving it either... but, I own an air-cooled Beetle, so my senses are a little off.

I'm in that small crowd of Stude fans. A '63 Avanti is near the top of my "What I would buy if I won the lottery" list. :)
 
That's funny, I like most of the Studes, but I just can't get behind the Down's syndrome look of the Avanti. No offense to those of you with afflicted acquaintances
 
Ya gotta admit, for a car that was designed over 50 years ago, it still fits in & looks good with what's being built today. :cool:

Can you think of any other car that fits that description? :huh:
 
Yes I can.. Lotus-Elan_mp32_pic_93105.jpgmazda-miata-na-white-black2.jpg
Almost a direct copy. DOHC NA inline four, manual gearbox, no frills, even the frame is the same shape.. Plus pop up headlights!

I'd also stick a photo of a 911, Morgan, Alfa spider, MGB, Beetle, Shelby Cobra, and a Super Seven in here.. Granted, some of them are kit cars, some of them are just stubbornly English/German, but there are many great designs that transcend time. Hell look at the popularity of the new Challenger.. It's within about an inch of all dimensions of the original. I get the Avanti, it just doesn't get my rocks off, is all. Not crazy enough, a little restrained for my tastes
 
Most of the cars you mention are either still in production or only recently ceased. Where would the Avanti be if it had continued for the past 50 years?
:hmmm:
 
TheIronSausage said:
Yes I can..
Hell look at the popularity of the new Challenger.. It's within about an inch of all dimensions of the original.
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Or not. Length and overall width, yes. Otherwise it's an overwrought, chunky pig of a car with just enough styling cues to call it retro. They didn't even get the headlamps and turn signals right. It's the high-school hottie after four kids and abandoning hope. No performance car should tip the scales at nearly 2.5 tons. It's inexcusable.
Fast? Absolutely, at least in SRT-8 and Hellcat form. Nimble, sporty, and fun? No. Way too much mass.
 
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Fully agree.. By the way, I'm still pissed that the Charger is a four door. More like Coronet..
 
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