My wonderful wife has departed on a long trip, primarily for business. I am very sad. I will never understand men who seem happy or say they can’t wait for their wives/significant others to leave.
Please be careful, V Squared! I LOVE YOU!!!
******************
In one of the Studebaker books I recently purchased the author wanted to make the point that at the beginning of their existence, the Hawk series was fairly popular and outsold the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird. Here is a chart I created showing 1956-1957 production/sales for the three cars. The Hawks were introduced in 1956. Of course the Thunderbird was changed into a different kind of car in 1958.
| YEAR |
CAR |
TOTAL PROD/SALES |
|
| 1956 |
Chevrolet Corvette |
3,467 |
|
| 1956 |
Ford Thunderbird |
15,631 |
|
| 1956 |
Studebaker Hawk (All Models) |
19,165 |
Flight, Power, Sky, Golden |
| |
|
|
|
| 1957 |
Chevrolet Corvette |
6,339 |
|
| 1957 |
Ford Thunderbird |
21,380 |
|
| 1957 |
Studebaker Hawk (All Models) |
19,674 |
Silver, Golden |
| |
|
|
|
| 1956-57 |
Chevrolet Corvette |
9,806 |
|
| 1956-57 |
Ford Thunderbird |
37,011 |
|
| 1956-57 |
Studebaker Hawk (All Models) |
38,839 |
|
Yes, Ford marketed the Thunderbird as a “personal luxury” car and not as an out-and-out sports car. Yes, the Hawk had four seats while the Corvette and first-generation Thunderbird had two. I didn’t make the comparison, the author did. However, it is true that for 1956-57 the Studebaker Hawk cars outsold the Corvette and the Thunderbird. (Studebaker actually marketed the Hawk series as “family sports cars.”)
I don’t care that much for the Hawk cars with the bolted-on fins and the pillared coupe body style. Granted I am at a long distance from these cars in time and space, but my favorite of these is the 1956 Sky Hawk. Sorry, 56packardman, I know the ’56 Golden Hawk was powered by Packard’s 352 cubic-inch V-8. From Richard Langworth’s excellent book, Studebaker 1946-1966, The Classic Postwar Years, an “explanation” as to why I like the Sky Hawk the best:
“For those who found balance and finesse as important as brute force, the Sky Hawk provided a reasonable alternative. At $500 less than the Golden Hawk, it was one of the best buys around in 1956 [not 2019, $500 was a much more significant amount of money then]. Like the Golden Hawk (but not the Power and Flight Hawks), it used finned brake drums, which were highly resistant to fade. It handled beautifully and with 210 HP was no slouch in performance. There was a vinyl interior of luxurious design, the same tooled metal dash as the Golden Hawk (tachometer optional), and much cleaner exterior styling. The Sky Hawk was devoid of what Bob Bourke called ‘those damnable fiberglass fins.'”
OK, some of you reading might find the part about balance and finesse being as important as brute force a tad hypocritical for someone who drives a 650 HP Corvette Z06. I maintain the Z06 has tremendous balance with its excellent handling and comfortable, well-appointed interior. Without further ado, a picture (“courtesy” of Mecum) of a 1956 Studebaker Sky Hawk:
The original shape of the Loewy coupes is quite evident. This car, of which 3,610 were made, is not easy to find in the classifieds, but is a contender to be purchased as an homage to defunct American makes. I’m keeping my Z06, though.
#ILoveMyWonderfulWife
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