Car Crash: A Gleaming Golden Hawk
A feature here at the Daily Driver is the Car Crash. Breathe easy – no actual cars were harmed in the making of this crash. That would be a crime, and a cryin’ shame. Our Car Crash is much more fun – in a “crash a party” kind of a way. If you’ve ever seen a vintage car and wanted to see the interior or wondered about its restoration process, then the Car Crash is just the post for you. Join us as we explore the details of a gorgeous vehicle…
We found and fell in love with this 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk at the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals.
Doug Van Pool of Reno, Nevada, has owned this beauty for a year and a half.
What was a casual trip to look at cars up for auction during Hot August Nights turned into a long-term commitment to this unique Studebaker.
When this Golden Hawk came across the auction block, Doug knew he had to have it. Some may call it an impulse buy, but Doug knows it was really just love at first sight!
Can you believe Doug drove his car from Reno to Del Mar? Talk about a real driver - this Golden Hawk has the miles to prove it!
The original owner of the car had the transmission swapped out to a 4 speed T10, which was installed by a Studebaker dealership in 1962.
Doug is the 5th owner of this Studebaker, and he has taken good care of her in their short time together.
The original owner also requested bucket seats from a 1962 GT Hawk to be installed by the same dealership that performed the transmission swap - making both the transmission and bucket seats "factory installs" - which qualifies this Golden Hawk as truly one-of-a-kind!
The car is nearly all stock and in beautiful condition, even the clock still works!
This supercharged Studebaker features new Dayton rims, which help make their road trips together more stylish than ever.
When this texture catches the light just right, it becomes illuminated with a glow, as if lit from within. Maybe that's where the Golden part of the Golden Hawk comes from!
I'm a big believer that cars have personalities, and if this Golden Hawk could talk, I imagine it would tell me just how happy she is to be out on the open road, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying adventures with Doug and his wife! Special thanks to Doug for taking the time to chat with us about his gorgeous Golden Hawk. Here's hoping we catch them together out on the road sometime soon!Doug's next project? A Superbee! We can't wait to see how that turns out!