Packard Hawk

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.

Engine

Rear view

• Type: Cast iron 90° V8, Silver Light dish-type pistons
• Displacement: 289 cubic inches
• Bore X stroke: 3.56 X 3.63 inches
• Compression ratio: 7.5:1
• Power @ rpm: 275 hp (205 kW) @ 4,800 rpm
• Torque @ rpm: 333 lb⋅ft (451 N⋅m) @ 3,200 rpm
• Valvetrain: In-head valves, solid lifters
• Main bearings: 5
• Ignition: Delco-Remy breaker-point
• Fuel system: 2-bbl Stromberg 380475 downdraft carburetor, McCulloch supercharger, 5 psi (34 kPa) max
• Lubrication system: Full-pressure, gear-driven
• Electrical system: 12-volt, 30 amperes
• Exhaust system: Cast iron, 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 (12 m)

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

1958 Packard Hawk convertible prototype

• 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: Classic bias-ply
• Front/rear: 8.00 X 14 in

Weights & Measures

• Wheelbase: 120.5 in (306 cm)
• Overall length: 205.2 in (521 cm)
• Overall width: 71.3 in (181 cm)
• Overall height: 54.6 in (139 cm)
• Front track: 56.7 in (144 cm)
• Rear track: 55.7 in (141 cm)
• Shipping weight: 3,470 lb (1,570 kg)

Capacities

• Crankcase: 5 US qt (4.7 l)
• Cooling system: 17 US qt (16 l)
• Fuel tank: 18 US gal (68 l)
• Transmission: 19 US pt (9.0 l)

Calculated Data

• Bhp per c.i.d.: 0.95
• Weight per bhp: 12.62 lb (5.72 kg)

Performance

• 0–60 mph (96.5 km/h): 12.0 seconds
• ¼ mile ET: 16.7 seconds @ 82.3 mph (132.4 km/h)
• Top speed: 125 mph (201 km/h)
• Fuel mileage: 12 mpg city, 20 mpg highway

Production

• 1958 Packard Hawk: 588

• Kimes, Beverly Rae, ed. (1978). Packard, a history of the motor car and the company (General ed.). Automobile Quarterly. ISBN 0-915038-11-0.
• Dawes, Nathaniel D. (1975). The Packard: 1942–1962. Cranbury, New Jersey: A.S. Barnes & Co. Inc. ISBN 0-498-01353-7.
• Patrick, Mark A., ed. (1996). Packard Motor Cars 1946-1958 Photo Archive. Osceola, Wisconsin: Iconographix. ISBN 1-882256-45-X.
• Clarke, R. M. Packard Gold Portfolio 1946–1958. Motorbooks International. ISBN 1-870642-19-8.
• Editors of Consumer’s Guide (1993). "Packard Hawk". Encyclopedia of American Cars from 1930. Publications International. ISBN 0-7853-0175-5.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
• Burness, Tad. American Car Spotter’s Guide, 1940–65. Motorbooks International. ISBN 0-87938-057-8.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Packard Hawk.

• Packard Automobile Classics, Inc. - The Packard Club
• Packard Motor Car Information
• Homepage of the National Packard Museum