It never fails  — when a Studebaker pops up on AutoHunter or I decide to write about one for a ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day, I have to read up on them. I find it difficult to keep track of the changes the “Loewy Coupe” went through from 1953-64, and my brain has declared it is not willing to play along. I assume I am not the only one who has experienced this, so consider this your primer for helping you remember the nuances.

When Studebaker introduced its redesigned line of cars for 1953, it was done with the assistance of Loewy and Associates, which had been the design consultant of record for Studebaker since 1936. Studebaker distinguished its model names based on engines, so one could choose between the V-8 Commander and six-cylinder Champion. Within those two models, one could opt for the Commander or Champion Starliner, which was the spectacular pillarless hardtop you often see hyped as the most beautiful American car of the decade (a subjective idea that’s difficult to dispute). Pillared coupes, on the other hand, were called Starlight. Any other name you may have seen in stories or literature, such as Regal, Deluxe, or Custom, is simply a trim level. This structure continued into 1954.

A facelift brought a new chrome nose in addition to a shuffled lineup for 1955. The President name returned after being gone for several years, sitting above the Commander. No fancy names for the coupes this time, with the President receiving both pillarless and pillared versions. However, the Commander was only available as a pillared coupe, while the Champion was available as both. Midyear, the President Speedster — a fancier pillarless coupe — was introduced.

For 1956, Studebaker revamped the coupes and designated them as Hawks. This would continue through 1964 before the series was discontinued. Four different Hawks were available for 1956: The Golden Hawk pillarless coupe featured fins and a Packard “Skypower 352” V-8, while the finless Skyhawk pillarless coupe featured the Studebaker V-8; the Power Hawk 8 and Flight Hawk 6 were pillared coupes.

Things were shuffled again for 1957, when only the Golden Hawk returned and a new Silver Hawk joined the team. This time, a supercharged version of Studebaker’s 289 powered the gilded personal luxury hardtop coupe. The Silver Hawk adopted the Golden Hawk’s fins, but it was a pillared coupe powered by a six or V-8. This lineup continued through 1958, then the Silver Hawk went solo for 1959.

Studebaker simplified things even more for 1960-61 with the V-8-powered Hawk (no color here — perhaps a reflection of lean times?). None of this was a portent of what was to come for 1962 with the Gran Turismo Hawk. Restyled by Brooks Stevens, the GT Hawk carried the personal luxury hardtop in fine form for three years before Studebaker transferred production to Canada in 1965. For 1963-64, the GT Hawk was available with supercharged 289 V-8s in addition to the naturally aspirated V-8.

What could have been Studebaker’s ticket to success ended up being hindered by organizational issues and poor business decisions. Nonetheless, Studebaker weathered the lean times with several clever moves.