Perfect car for the collector who wants something truly unique
Amid the local hype and soaring prices for desirable Aussie muscle cars, and the international rush for high-end machinery from major names such as Ferrari and Porsche, there is a sub-market that turns up occasional surprises.
This 1958 Packard Hawk is a great example. Packard’s Hawk two-door hardtop was in fact a lightly-modified Studebaker Hawk with fiberglass nose cone, bonnet and boot lid. The company is said to have made 588 of them, which makes them quite a rare beast.
However there was no convertible in the line-up and company Chief Engineer Stanley Pridachuck pitched the idea of a soft-top to management. It didn’t win approval, but Pridachuck carried a flame for his idea through to his retirement.
He subsequently built his own convertible in the early sixties, using factory-sourced parts.
Power is from a supercharged 289ci (4.8lt) V8, with three-speed manual transmission and overdrive.
The car was owned by the American Packard Museum for many years and was recently put up for online auction at Bring a Trailer, fetching US$102,000 (Au$133,000). We reckon that was a it of a bargain, given it is a one-off, built by someone with ample qualifications and a strong factory history.