It was positioned as an alternative to the market favorite Ford Thunderbird, which offered an all-new version in 1958 as well.

As on early aircraft and custom boats, padded armrests were mounted outside the windows, a rare touch.

It was certainly the fastest Packard ever sold, since it shared the majority of its components with Studebaker's Golden Hawk.

Its rarity and status as the best-regarded of the 'Packardbaker' final-year cars have made the Packard Hawk quite collectible.

Values are roughly double those of the equivalent Studebaker, although they are still low by comparison with Corvettes and Thunderbirds.