Coming or Going, Studebaker Sold Style to a Postwar Generation (New York Times)

postwar styling that made the Big Three?s prewar designs look like dinosaurs.

While the article was reasonably correct, there is an error regarding the "copying" of Thunderbird rear windows for the GT Hawks. That style of windo first appeared in a mid 1950's Packard prototype designed by Brooks Stevens. So, Ford actually "borrowed" earlier Brooks design.

JT

EXCEPT that I read somewhere (I think in SIA) in an article written by the guy who did it, that they just ran a new Thunderbird into the shop, took the measurments and put virtually the same roof on the GT Hawk. And he was there. They put out the STORY that they took the idea from the Packard Predictor but actually......

Can look it up if necessary. :(

John

Is a picture of the Packard prototype posting in the Web?

DGH

postwar styling that made the Big Three?s prewar designs look like dinosaurs.

All well and good but Stevens still originated the style first...

JT

There probably is but I remember seeing it in Southbend back in the early 1970's...

JT

See

I always hate to disagree with a pro, but if you look at the rear window of the Predictor and that of the late Hawk, you notice that the Hawk's "earmuffs" have parallel lines while the Predictor's are more shaped like a "V". These are actually 2 different designs. And of course, in later years, the designer SAID they had copied the T- bird.

By the way, the Predictor is in the Studebaker Museum in South Bend. They even have a small leaflet on the car that may be free, not sure.

John

That is not the car I recall seeing in the museum. I guess a little more research is needed.

That would have been quite the car though if it had been put into production!

What were the names of the smaller sports cars proposed by Packard?

JT