1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk

One of the American icon cars of the 1950s, and it didn't just come in gold. For the 1957 model, the raised hood and grille were added to allow space for a larger engine, Packard's big 352 cubic inch (5.8 litre) V8, which delivered 275 bhp (205 kW). This big, powerful engine in such a light car gave the Golden Hawk a high power-to-weight ratio (and thus performance) for the time; of 1956 American production cars, the Golden Hawk was second only to Chrysler's 300 B by that measure — and the expensive Chrysler was a road-legal NASCAR racing car. The Golden Hawk can be considered, like the Chryslers, a precursor to the muscle cars of the 1960s. (Geoff Churchman)