The Frankenstein Packard... [PIC]

Studebaker had already bought the Packard brand and by 1957, the Packard plant was leased to Curtiss-Wright, so giving the Packard one last shot, the Car was built at the Studebaker plant. This Packard Golden Hawk was made from the Studebaker Golden Hawk 400 using parts from the 53 Studebaker. As a cost saving way to offer new looks with basically the same car from '53 to the GT Hawk of the early '60s, they used interchangeable panels. 1952 was Studebaker's last profitable year and the company was just hanging on after that. So giving the Packard a different look meant replacing the high backed deck lid with the lower '53 panel and tacking on a simulated spare cover, Eliminating the Mercedes type upright grill, a '53 sloping hood replaced it blending into a fiberglass clip with the narrow intake spread side to side and a hood scoop added giving clearance for the Roots type supercharger added to their stock 289 V8 that bumped horsepower to a respectable 275 HP. Most of these came with the "TT" or "Twin Traction" limited slip differential. The interior was given luxurious treatment with all leather that included leather padding extending outside the window, The fully padded dash laid over a machine turned instrument panel with full gauges. It actually became quite a well performing luxury mid-sized car that was meant to compete with Ford's 'square birds'.  Unfortunately the word leaked out of Sudebaker-Packards impending demise so only 548 were ever sold as buyers were concerned that there'd be servicing problems. Time has treated this Studebaker-Packard more kindly than initial reactions, so with the limited numbers surviving and vintage Studebaker parts being easily available, the market now is such that if you restored one today, you might even make back the money you put into it.