Side by side, the story of Joost den Baas

In the summer of 2023 I took part in 'Hilversum on Wheels' with my 1962 Studebaker Hawk Gran Turismo. It was the very first time I took part in a 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 my Hawk in particular. It turns out my 1962 Studebaker Hawk Gran Turismo rolled off the Studebaker factory line in South Bend, Indiana, on 6 June 1962. The original production order states that it was ordered by a Studebaker dealer in Switzerland, so it has a kilometre odometer and a 4-speed gearbox on the floor. Back then I still did not know much about the relationship between Studebaker and Packard. Driving into the centre of Hilversum, my Studebaker was politely guided to its spot, next to a beautiful dark red 'doctor's coupe'. At that moment I still had no idea what make the car next to me was, but I would find out soon. A Packard, as it turned out. It cannot be a coincidence that on that lovely summer day in 2023 a Packard and a Studebaker stood side by side like brothers. Little by little I understand more about the relationship and cooperation between Packard and Studebaker, and in the meantime I keep collecting and reading more about these two wonderful marques. *Joost den Baas*