1956 Studebaker

1956 Studebaker Power Hawk â?" Custom Pro-Street Build with 396 Big Block V8 Why This Car Is Special The 1956 Studebaker Power Hawk sits at an interesting crossroads in American automotive history. Studebaker introduced the Hawk family for 1956 as a way to repackage the aging but genuinely attractive coupe body that designer Robert Bourke had created for the 1953 Starliner. Rather than retire it, Studebaker leaned into its sporty character and gave it a name to match. The Power Hawk was the entry point of that new lineup â?" a pillared coupe powered by a small-displacement V8 from the factory, offered at a price point that made it accessible while still carrying the visual drama of the longer, more expensive Hawks above it in the range.