Packard Hawk Sport Hardtop, 1958
Packard 200/250
Packard 200/250•
•29 views
Chassis No.: 58LS1517
Auction: Kissimmee 2018
Auction date: January 14, 2018
Lot No.: S130.1
$137,500 | Sold
- Exterior: Red
- Interior: Tan
- Body: Sport Hardtop
- Matching numbers 289/275 HP V-8 engine
- 1 of 588 produced in 1958
- McCullough supercharger
- Newly painted Red exterior with Gold Mylar fins
- New dual exhaust
- Borg Warner Flightomatic 3-speed automatic transmission
- Power steering and brakes
- New correct Tan leather pleated seats with Tan interior
- Split bench seat
- New custom Packard mirrors
- Radio with twin antennas
- Restored bumpers and trim
- Chrome wire wheels
- New Wide Whitewall tires
- New wire wheels
- New trunk liner
- Spare tire
When it came to a smart-looking, mid-century modern approach to motoring, few cars could match fenders with the Hawk, and this one is hugely demonstrative of that philosophy. Presented in a lovely shade of red, the tan interior complements the golden fins well. The wire wheels and whitewall tires, dual antennas and exquisitely well-detailed overall presentation mark this car as one of the greats. Why they weren’t more popular is up to debate, but when this one was built, the Packard name graced the new, elongated, sloping hood, supplanting the Studebaker name for a moment.
This 1958 Packard Hawk Sport Hardtop features a McCulloch-supercharged 289/275 HP V-8 engine with Borg Warner automatic transmission, a combination that made it one of the fastest cars of the day. The brightwork and paint gleam with ease, the interior is inviting and fresh, and it’s certain to make any enthusiast or collector stop and admire. Introduced by Studebaker in the early 1950s as the Champion Starlight Coupe, the car catapulted the company into the limelight as a leader in styling and design. Later, Studebaker would build upon the Starlight and introduce the Hawk line of coupes.
During the same time, Studebaker was negotiating an agreement for Packard to merge with the company, and by 1957, the Studebaker-Packard company was born. In 1958, the Packard name graced the newly styled Hawk, a car that introduced a much more dramatic front end than previous Studebaker Hawks. The new hood sloped smoothly to a grille spanning the width of the front end along the narrow but wide front bumper; atop the hood, like previous Hawks, was a bulge to accommodate the McCulloch supercharger.
The interior featured luxurious materials and designs like engine-turned aluminum dashboards intended to remind of aircrafts or speedboats of the era, padded dashboards, padded armrests and an easy-to-read clock and gauges. The Hawk has long been a remarkably underrated car, normally held dear almost exclusively by Studebaker and Packard enthusiasts. This one is dressed to kill with its remarkable color combination, the supercharged engine and the glittering chrome, stainless and aluminum trim. With just 588 of these beauties produced, it’s really tough to resist.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/313025/1958-packard-hawk-sport-hardtop/
