Studebaker Golden Hawk Roadster: Creativity Reigns in Hot Rod Hobby

The Studebaker Golden Hawk Roadster stands out as a prime example of how creativity and innovation dominate the hot rod hobby. This classic vehicle showcases a unique blend of vintage design and modern enhancements, illustrating the limitless potential for customization and personal expression in the world of hot rodding. Whether you're an enthusiast or a newcomer, the Golden Hawk Roadster inspires with its imaginative approach and timeless appeal.

It's hard to imagine that this outrageous street-freak Studebaker Golden Hawk used to be a businessman's sedan.

Boston Brand Media discovered the trending news - True hardcore, old-school hot-rodders will appreciate this one. Lot #R227 is a radically customized 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk roadster, set to be sold at Mecum Auctions' July event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The House of Kolor Sunrise Pearl-painted vehicle is a modern tribute to manufacturers' "futuristic" concept cars and innovative custom vehicles, reminiscent of the creations by automotive visionaries like George Barris, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, and others from the 1950s and '60s.

It's astounding to think that this sporty machine is based on the 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk, originally a hardtop, two-door, luxury business coupe. Just as creativity allowed the greats to create automotive icons, the same spirit is alive today, evident in this ride, which was completed in 2019.

Modern Modification 

With an image of an original 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk provided for reference, the photos in this article showcase the dramatic modifications made to the car's body. These changes include steel panels from Studebakers and various production vehicles: a 1960 Pontiac (nose, door skins), a 1959 Ford Thunderbird (hood), a 1963 Chevrolet Corvair (rear sheetmetal), a 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado (right-side headlight door), Harley Davidson-sourced headlights, a 1965 Shelby Mustang (side mirrors), modified Lincoln Continental Mark VIII (taillights), and a 1988 Audi sunroof seamlessly integrated into the rear decklid.

If the car looks familiar, it might be because Microsoft used it as a model for the Forza Horizon 4 video game, included in the Hot Wheels Legends car pack. Additionally, it won back-to-back First-in-Class awards at the Detroit Autorama in 2019 and 2020.

Additional accolades for the Golden Hawk roadster include being selected as a Gene Winfield “Select Six” contender at the 2019 Syracuse Nationals in New York and winning the Judge’s Pick award at the 2021 Eyes on Design Concours d’Elegance in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. In 2020, legendary builder Darryl Starbird honored this Studebaker with the Personal Choice award at the National Rod and Custom Show that bears his name.

The Golden Hawk's powerplant is a uniquely configured 4.6-liter Ford aluminum "four-valve" V-8 with carburetion instead of EFI, paired with a C4 three-speed automatic transmission. It features a powder-coated Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold supporting a Holley Street Demon carburetor. Exhaust exits through Sanderson headers on each side of the roadster. The cooling, ignition, and fueling systems are equipped with components from Griffin (aluminum radiator with electric fan), Ron Francis (wiring kit), MSD, and Rock Valley (stainless steel 15-gallon fuel tank).

The interior is adorned in black leather and cloth, featuring custom Corbeau fixed-back bucket seats and a custom center console. It includes refurbished Studebaker instrumentation with a 6,000-rpm tachometer and a 120-mph speedometer, a Nardi steering wheel, an Ididit steering column, and RJS lap harnesses. Additionally, shift and turn-signal indicators are integrated into the roadster’s rearview mirror.

A traditional hot-rod "stink-bug" stance (rear higher than the front) is achieved with 245/35 front and 295/40 rear Nitto tires on 20x8 Weld Evo wheels. The car features independent suspension setups from a Chevy Corvette in the front and a Jaguar in the rear. Wilwood disc brakes and power rack-and-pinion steering complete the Studebaker’s chassis.

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Source: motortrend‍