Posted on 12/30/2013 11:32:59 AM PST by Reaganite Republican
The company really was run by ‘car guys’ at the end, inc. Andy Granatelli, later CEO of STP (a Studebaker subsidiary)
The late 1950’s Golden Hawk with the supercharged 289 was indeed fast. It was not quite as fast off the line as most Corvettes, but it blew by all of them on the top end.
The speedometer was printed to 140 mph but that wasn’t the end of it. And, with its aerodynamic design it would hug the ground all the way up. Unfortunately, (or perhaps fortunately) the one I am familiar with came with a three-speed gear stick on the steering column.
Blasphemy!
I seem to remember the Hawk doing 149mph, on the salt flats.
I seem to recall a study (academic?) about one of the principal (immediate) causes of Studebaker’s bankruptcy many years back and the blame was focused upon the UAW. By the 1950s the UAW had an almost unbeatable strategy for their 3 year cycle of union contract negotiations. They would focus upon one car company and strike it to force a favorable contract that would then be applied to the rest of the industry. It would appear that Studebaker over its 100 year history had employed a rather family-oriented and generous attitude towards their workers. In the 1950s, Studebaker’s wages to both labor and management were amongst the highest overall in the industry.
This works when the company and union are only working with each other. In this case, the UAW was more interested in an INDUSTRY WIDE labor wage and in 1962, the UAW struck various Studebaker factories to gain the advantage of establishing a ‘sweetheart’ contract that they could turn-around and push to the other car companies. If it destroyed Studebaker, well that was less important than benefitting all of the other union workers. A demonstration of how ulterior motives can wreak havoc upon even the best intentions.
I think the Avanti sedan looked pretty good:
Nice clean lines and very good looking. I'd be happy to consider buying it if it were available today!
Replace the front cannon-target target sight with a Mercedes 3-way deal and it almost looks like a 60’s “concept” MBZ!
The Sceptre Coupe looks a lot like the Thunderbirds of the era. It is a shame it was never produced.
“Nice clean lines and very good looking. I’d be happy to consider buying it if it were available today! “
Me, too, but we’re late by about 22 years.
It was a great little engine and it was possible to work on it yourself.
My dad and his mechanic conspired to do all sorts of bizarre things to it though. They put a Maserati fuel injection system on it - ran great but if you popped the hood you weren't QUITE sure what you were looking at . . .
It's a wonder we never ripped it right out of the car in the "after school speed trials".
Great memory! And that speed would have been possible for a weekend amateur who drove the car to the salt flats. Would not be surprised to hear of routine 150+ mph with a professional tune and competition tires.
The 140 mph designation was, of course, somewhere in the 4-4:30 area of the 1957's gauge. There were a few times during the very early hours of the morning on recently constructed, long and straight California freeways out in the middle of nowhere when I was able to get the needle vertical (yes, I was alone). Never had the speedo calibrated but calculated that even with error I was moving right along.
Pretty sure the magic was in the supercharger plus the fact that the faster one went the smoother the handling.
I want to find an AMC Marlin and a Studibaker Avanti. I think Avanti were last made in 2010.
“the faster one went the smoother the handling.”
The same with my ‘91 Lexus. At about 90, it just settled down and got better. I chickened out at about 140 though.
The D-501 was powered by a 354-cu.in. Hemi with dual Carter WCFB four-barrels, 11.0:1 compression, special cam and intake, 405 ft-lbs of torque, over one horsepower per cubic inch.
” It was not quite as fast off the line as most Corvettes, but it blew by all of them on the top end.”
I doubt that, the 57 Corvette that we won every SCCA race we entered in 57 was clocked at 154 in the back straight at Riverside Raceway.
I doubt that…
O.k., but then you were not sitting next to me.
And, let’s run the comparison on equal terms. I was speaking of an auto driven on a daily basis operated by an ordinary driver (amateur?) with an engine and supercharger that may have been out of tune, with factory suspension, a front-end that might be a bit out of alignment and tires that weren’t balanced for high-speed, on ordinary “take what you get” roads (albeit carefully selected).
Further, my experience was like taking candy from babies because ALL of the street ‘vettes in my experience had quick rear end ratios and not fast rear ends intended for the top end as did the Hawk I drove. Those ‘vettes rarely got above 120’ish and they soon gave up.
On the other hand, it is likely you trailered your ‘vette to the race track (at least in the late 50’s?). You certainly had removed unnecessary weight, beefed up the suspension, fitted it with competitive tires checked them for precise air pressure and condition, and gave it all a last minute tuning.
Bottom line: you have your memories and I have mine. And, they are all good.
Happy New Year!
Pictures? What became of the car? Is it still out their?
Right, after your “state of the art” two speed auto and my three on the steering column we went on to better things.
Later, I had a ’68 GTO convertible with four on the floor. Even later, I bonded with a young and large thoroughbred gelding. The first time I had the guts to let him run as fast as he wanted he seemed to change gaits several times and I had vivid flash backs to the GTO. He seemed as quick as the GTO, and with an English seat that definitely got smaller as he accelerated it was one of the times I realized how quickly it could all end.
Happy New Year!
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