Side by side, like brothers

“At 'Hilversum on Wheels' my Studebaker was parked next to a Packard. That was when I really understood the bond between the two marques. Through SPCN I keep learning more about their shared history.”

In the summer of 2023 I took part in 'Hilversum on Wheels' with my 1962 Studebaker Hawk Gran Turismo. It was my first ever classic car meet; I had only bought my Studebaker in September 2022, in Limburg. In the months after the purchase I started reading and collecting more about the history of Studebaker in general, and about my Hawk in particular. My 1962 Studebaker Hawk Gran Turismo turns out to have rolled off the Studebaker production line in South Bend, Indiana, on 6 June 1962. The original production order shows it was ordered by a Studebaker dealer in Switzerland, which explains the kilometer odometer and the four-speed floor shift. Back then I did not yet grasp much of the relationship between Studebaker and Packard. As I drove into the centre of Hilversum my Studebaker was politely directed to its spot, right next to a beautiful dark red 'doctor's coupe'. I had no idea what marque was parked next to me, but I would soon find out: a Packard. It cannot be a coincidence that on that lovely summer day in 2023 a Packard and a Studebaker stood side by side, like brothers. Gradually I understand more about the relationship and cooperation between Packard and Studebaker, and I keep collecting and reading about these two wonderful marques.