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The 1956 Golden Hawk paired Raymond Loewy's low Studebaker hardtop with Packard's 352-cubic-inch V8. It was the only Studebaker-badged production model to use that engine. A Carter WCFB four-barrel, dual exhaust, 9.5:1 compression, 275 gross horsepower, and 380 lb-ft of torque gave the five-passenger coupe performance that stood apart from the other 1956 Hawks.
Manual cars used a Borg-Warner T85 three-speed with overdrive and Hill-Holder as standard equipment. Packard's Twin Ultramatic was the optional automatic. The semi-floating Model 44-3 rear axle normally carried 3.92 gears with the manual-overdrive drivetrain or 3.07 gears with Ultramatic. Twin-Traction did not become a 1956 Golden Hawk option, even though later cars and replacement differentials can create that impression.
The chassis retained independent coil-spring front suspension, four-leaf rear springs, direct-acting shocks, and Wagner drums measuring 11 inches in front and 10 inches at the rear. Power steering, Hydrovac power brakes, and heavy-duty spring and shock equipment were available. Inside, the Golden Hawk added a 160-mph speedometer, tachometer, one-year-only vacuum gauge, engine-turned instrument trim, and a five-passenger cabin with cloth-and-vinyl or optional all-vinyl upholstery.
Studebaker built 4,071 examples after excluding two scrapped South Bend serials. Authenticity starts with the serial plate, 56J-K7 body tag, production order, and the correct K-series manual or S-series Ultramatic engine number. The 1956-only hood, fiberglass fins, check-mark side trim, paint break, and Golden Hawk script are useful corroboration, but restored trim and an installed Packard V8 do not replace car-specific records.