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I always wanted a Golden Hawk


Or an Avanti

My uncle’s dad and uncle bought a new pair of Studebaker 2ton grain trucks and a pair of new Gleaner Cs. They built ramps to back the Cs into the trucks and were in the custom cutting business headed to TX to work their way up to Nebraska before they’d head back home.

As a kid, maybe 1967 (born in '61) or so, my Father did a kitchen cabinet remodel and received a '49 pickup in return. He drove it for a number of years. Yellow...

In the day, they were the cat's meow.

Thanks, but that's not my Transtar. I only have the Super Hawk, but I'm looking for a '58 Transtar.

My dad had a Golden Hawk stock car that he used to race at Freeport and Islip on Long Island in the '50s.

Worked at a dairy farm and the fleet was studebaker trucks they were all painted blue and had a aluminum box on the beds to hold the ice for home delivery. The dairy was one of the last ones i know of that delivered milk to the door had a full time mechanic at the dairy to keep the old flatheads going along with the old ferggy tractors going.

Dairy closed around 1988 to 89 do not remember.
The fleet was sold at action so sad.

Never owned one, but my great uncle had one I got to drive once in a while when I was at an age where it was great to drive anything. I remember it would get up and go a lot better than I expected.

A kid in our town, 6 or 7 years older than I, built a hotrod on one…283 with two four-barrels, Isky cam…the works.

Another guy, in our town up north, collects Avatis. He ran the area’s premier body shop for years, From what I’ve seen of his Avantis, they are gorgeous.

Although not an "automobile," Studebaker Company originally made wagons and in the great push across the plains and mountains to the western United States, Studebaker wagons were far more popular than the very heavy, awkward, more expensive Conestoga wagons first used.

The Studebaker wagon was much lighter, more maneuverable, didn't take so much "horse power" (or "ox power") to pull, and carried about the same amount of freight and goods. They became the desirable transportation of the western migrants.

When the "horseless carriage" became a more modern means of transportation, Studebaker got out of the wagon business and into building automobiles.

FWIW.

L.W.

My neighbor has a Studebaker pu 4wd like high noon complete restored , painted it turquoise and cream colored. He collects Studebaker also has one of those Avanti's.

I never knew that.
Pretty good story, thanks for enlightening us.
7mm

A friend I hung around with for several years had a Studebaker that looked like the 1951 shown in the attachment to Rocky Raabs post. The owner was not a skillfull driver and it was unbelievable the abuse he heaped on that car. In spite of this it was just like the Energizer Bunny in the way it took abuse and just kept on running. Don't know what engine it had but am sure it wasn't a V-8. The only accessories it had as I recall it were a radio and overdrive. It sure was the source of my respect for these cars.

This discussion brings to mind a new Hudson automobile I got to ride in at the cottage when I was somewhere between 12 and 15. At the time I thought that was the height of pure luxury. A rich(?) guy from Ohio was the owner.

Jim

Until near the end, most Studebaker models were very good equipment, and the company took the lead with some styling features and operating components.

I had and loved a 1948 Commander Starlite Coupe - best car for the dollar car I ever owned. Flathead 6, very dependable and stylish, economical for its day, overdrive in three gears and a hill holder feature, not to mention other little niceties. I would like to find one like it today at some decent price - mainly for sentimental reasons.

Had an early 60s 3/4 ton truck with the V8 - a workhorse. Then, an Avanti - '64 I think - that was fun and unique.

Only two stories I can tell about Studebakers.

First, my BFF at the time, still is if he's still alive had a 49 Study two door. One evening we scored a pint of who hit John and when he got into the car he passed the 6 pack of coke to is date and the bottle back to me. Seems that little old car had storage space in the back seat armrests. Sure as God made little green apples, the cops had been watching that liquor store and pulled us over. They never found the booze.

The second story is I was leaving my girl friends house i Las Vegas and headed back to Indian Springs AFB. About half way there I'm doing about 90 or so in a 55 Oldsmobile that wasn't quite stock when I see lights in the distance behind my. Now I'm hauling whoever it was is catching up tp to me quite fast. i dropped back in speed and this Studebaker Avanti went past me going I don't know how fast. I tried to catch up but all I ever saw was his tail lights getting smaller and smaller. I always thought they were some kind of cool.
Paul B.

Yes, my 48 Starlite Coupe had those unique storage armrests (one of the features noted in previous post) and the later Avanti was equipped to run that fast - another out in front design by Stude.

I had a .62 Lark that I inherited from my great aunt. It was in 1978, and the car had been sitting for years and had hardly any oil showing on the dipstick. I topped off the oil, filled up the nearly empty radiator, and put new tires on it. Luckily the gas tank was in good condition and nearly empty, so the new gas diluted the old. This was in Birmingham, AL, and I drove it all the way back to Eastern Kentucky, 500 miles. It ran better than our 1978 Chevy with the little in-line 6 with about 70 HP. It ran so smooth I was impressed.. They were very underrated cars, and they had some fine motors.

There is a prestine Avanti ragtop that lives near me, I see it on the road on weekends occasionally.

Good auction car to watch for, if there isn't a Avanti buyer in the mix ya just might get a hell'ov a deal.

(Sold,$12,000.00)
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1977-avanti-avanti/

My long-time hunting pard was in the middle of a complete rebuild of an Avanti, complete from engine/trans to brakes/wheels to body to interior.

Sadly, cancer took him before he could finish and drive it.

Original supercharged Avanti seemed very special - the Avanti II, not so much.

^^ This ^^

My '63 R/2 Super Hawk has the original supercharger, but I rebuilt it with 12 lbs. of boost instead of the original 5 lbs of boost.