Packard Hawk

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title: "Packard Hawk" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["packard-vehicles", "coupés", "cars-introduced-in-1958", "rear-wheel-drive-vehicles"] topic_path: "general/packard-vehicles" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard_Hawk" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox automobile"]

Field	Value
name	Packard Hawk
image	1958 Packard Hawk (8942122014).jpg
manufacturer	Packard (Studebaker-Packard)
model_years	1958
assembly	Studebaker Automotive Plant, South Bend, Indiana, United States
body_style	2-door hardtop personal luxury car
layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
related
engine	289 cuin V8
transmission	3-speed Flightomatic automatic
wheelbase	120.5 in
length	205.2 in
width	71.3 in
height	54.6 in
weight	3470 lb
sp	us
::

The Packard Hawk is a model of automobile. It was the sportiest of the four Packard-badged Studebakers produced in 1958, the final year of Packard production.

History and description

The Packard Plant in Detroit, Michigan had been leased to Curtiss-Wright (and would be soon sold to them), and Packard models in this dying-gasp year were all rebadged and retrimmed Studebaker products. The 1958 Packard Hawk was essentially a Studebaker Golden Hawk 400 with a fiberglass front end and modified deck lid. It was positioned as an alternative to the market favorite Ford Thunderbird, which offered an all-new version in 1958 as well.

Instead of the Studebaker Hawk's upright Mercedes-style grille, the Packard Hawk had a wide, low opening just above the front bumper and covering the whole width of the car. Above this, a smoothly sloping nose, and hood—reminiscent of the 1953 Studebakers, but with a bulge as on the Golden Hawk—accommodating the engine's McCulloch supercharger that gave the Studebaker 289 in³ (4.7 L) V8 a total of 275 bhp (205 kW). At the rear, the sides of the fins were coated in metallized PET film, giving them a shiny metallic gold appearance. A fake spare-tire bulge adorned the 1953-style Studebaker deck lid. PACKARD appeared across the nose, with a gold Packard emblem in script—along with a Hawk badge—on the trunk lid and fins.

The interior was full leather, with full instrumentation in an engine-turned dash. As on early aircraft and custom boats, padded armrests were mounted outside the windows, a rare touch.

The styling was definitely controversial, often described as 'vacuum-cleaner' or 'catfish' by detractors. The styling has come to be appreciated more today than in its debut. Only 588 were sold, with Packard's impending demise a likely contributing factor. Most were equipped with the Borg-Warner three-speed automatic transmission. Approximately 28 were produced with the B-W T85 3-speed w/overdrive manual transmission. Studebaker-Packard was the first manufacturer to popularize the limited slip differential, which they termed Twin-Traction. Most Packard Hawks came with TT. It was certainly the fastest Packard ever sold, since it shared the majority of its components with Studebaker's Golden Hawk. The price was $3995, about $700 higher than the Studebaker model, but with a more luxurious interior. Electric window-lifts and power seats were optional extras.

Its rarity and status as the best-regarded of the 'Packardbaker' final-year cars have made the Packard Hawk quite collectible. Values are roughly double those of the equivalent Studebaker, although they are still low by comparison with Corvettes and Thunderbirds. Because a Studebaker drivetrain was used, mechanical parts are more readily available, although body and trim parts are more difficult-to-impossible to find. While it is a unique car, current restoration costs almost always exceed the selling price.

1958PackardHawk.jpg|1958 Packard Hawk 1958PackardHawk2.jpg|Rear view of 1958 Hawk 1958 Packard Hawk Convertible.jpg|1958 Packard Hawk convertible prototype

Specifications

;Engine

Type: Cast iron 90° V8, Silv-O-Lite dish-type pistons
Displacement: 289 cubic inches
Bore X stroke: 3.56 X 3.63 inches
Compression ratio: 7.5:1
Power at rpm: 275 hp (205 kW) at 4,800 rpm
Torque at rpm: 333 lbft at 3,200 rpm
Valvetrain: Overhead valves, solid lifters
Main bearings: 5
Ignition: Delco-Remy breaker-point
Fuel system: 2-bbl Stromberg 380475 downdraft carburetor, McCulloch supercharger, 5 psi max
Lubrication system: Full-pressure, gear-driven
Electrical system: 12-volt, 30 amperes
Exhaust system: Cast iron manifolds, dual exhaust

;Transmission

Type: Borg-Warner Flightomatic automatic
Ratios
- 1st: 2.40:1
- 2nd: 1.47:1
- 3rd: 1.0:1
- Reverse: 2.0:1

;Differential

Type: Semi-floating hypoid, Twin-Traction Spicer-Thornton limited slip
Ratio: 3.31:1

;Steering

Type: Power assist, Saginaw recirculating ball
Ratio: 19.2:1
Turns, lock-to-lock: 4.5
Turning circle: 41 ft

;Brakes

Type: Four wheel, power-assist Wagner hydraulic
Front: Cast-iron finned drum, 11 X 2.5 in
Rear: Cast-iron drum, 10 X 2 in
Swept area: 172.8 sq in

;Chassis & Body

Construction: All-steel, box section, double-drop side rails, 5 crossmembers
Body style: Two-door, five passenger hardtop, soft top prototype
Layout: Front engine, rear-wheel drive

;Suspension

Front: Individual unequal-length upper and lower control arms, coil springs, hydraulic shocks, anti-sway bar
Rear: Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, hydraulic shocks

;Wheels & Tires

Wheels: Kelsey-Hays tubeless 5-lug stamped steel
Front/rear: 5.5 X 14 in
Tires: Bias-ply
Front/rear: 8.00 X 14 in

;Weights & Measures

Wheelbase: 120.5 in
Overall length: 205.2 in
Overall width: 71.3 in
Overall height: 54.6 in
Front track: 56.7 in
Rear track: 55.7 in
Shipping weight: 3,470 lb

;Capacities

Crankcase: 5 USqt
Cooling system: 17 USqt
Fuel tank: 18 gal
Transmission: 19 USpt

;Calculated Data

Bhp per c.i.d.: 0.95
Weight per bhp: 12.62 lb

;Performance

0–60 mph (97 km/h): 12.0 seconds
¼ mile ET: 16.7 seconds at 82.3 mph
Top speed: 125 mph
Fuel mileage: 12 mpg city, 20 mpg highway

;Production

1958 Packard Hawk: 588

Sources

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::