Leonie’s Virtual Drive Down Australia’s Great Ocean Road in a 1959 Black-and-Chrome Studebaker Hawk

Last updated on 14 Apr 2026

Leonie doesn’t just daydream about a car—Leonie daydreams about a feeling: black paint catching light like still water, chrome bright as laughter, and that particular kind of freedom that only exists when the road is long and the company is right. Even if today it’s a virtual drive, Leonie knows how to make it real in all the ways that count—by bringing Harvey and Marty along for the ride.

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"Leonie On A Virtual Road Trip Back To Great Ocean Road, AUSTRALIA, In Her Classic Dream Car, A 1959 Black and Chrome Studebaker Hawk With Her Friends Harvey and Marty Leonie dreams of owning a Classic Dream Car, A 1959 Black and Chrome Studebaker Hawk where she could take an REAL Road Trip to the Great Ocean Road, AUSTRALIA! Today Leonie is sharing those Classic Dreams, with her current friends Marty and Harvey, with a virtual road trip to Great Ocean Road, AUSTRALIA in A 1959 Black and Chrome Studebaker Hawk. The Great Ocean Road is one of the world's most famous scenic drives, stretching 243 kilometers (151 miles) along the southeastern coast of Australia. It is recognized as the world's largest war memorial, built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 to honor those killed in World War I. Essential Highlights The Twelve Apostles: Magnificent limestone stacks rising up to 45 meters from the Southern Ocean. Although named for twelve, only eight currently remain standing due to natural erosion. Loch Ard Gorge: A picturesque site known for its towering yellow cliffs and the tragic 1878 shipwreck of the Loch Ard. Note that as of April 2026, beach access steps may be temporarily closed for safety. Great Otway National Park: Features lush rainforests, ancient tree ferns, and towering waterfalls like Erskine Falls and Hopetoun Falls. Bells Beach: Located near Torquay, this is an internationally renowned surfing destination and home to the world's longest-running surf competition. Kennett River: A premier spot for viewing wild koalas in their natural habitat. All three are having a great time laughing and joking about the good old days as they travel the Great Ocean Road, AUSTRALIA in the 1959 Black and Chrome Studebaker Hawk! ------------------------------------------------- The 1959 Studebaker Silver Hawk is a moderately rare classic coupe Metro Moulded Parts that marked the final year the "Silver Hawk" name was used before transitioning to just "Hawk" in 1960. It was the only model in the Hawk lineup that year as Studebaker shifted its focus to the compact Lark. Specifications While a black-and-chrome combination was a factory option, two-tone paint schemes were officially unavailable for the 1959 model year. Engines: 259 cu in (4.2L) V8: The most common engine, producing 180 hp with a two-barrel carburetor or 195 hp with an optional four-barrel and dual exhaust. 170 cu in (2.8L) Inline-6: A standard "economy" choice producing approximately 90 hp. Transmissions: Available in a 3-speed manual, manual with overdrive, or a "Flightomatic" automatic. Dimensions: Length of 204 inches with a 120.5-inch wheelbase, weighing approximately 3,200 lbs. Interior: Featured a signature "engine-turned" aluminum dashboard panel and a fiberglass dash. Production: Only 7,788 units were produced in 1959, making it significantly rarer than its contemporaries from the "Big Three." Current Market Value The value of a 1959 Silver Hawk is heavily dictated by its mechanical condition and the engine type (V8 models typically command a premium). Average Value: Most well-maintained examples sell for approximately $20,000 to $24,000. Condition Ranges: Fair/Project (#4 Condition): ~$10,000 – $14,000. Good/Excellent (#3 to #2 Condition): ~$19,000 – $28,000. Concours/Pristine (#1 Condition): Can exceed $40,000 to $50,000. Recent Sales: A V8 model in "excellent" condition recently sold for $21,133 through the Hagerty Marketplace Hagerty A high-end restored example sold for $42,900 in San Diego. -------------------------"

Where Leonie parks the dream: right beside the ocean

There’s something so Leonie about choosing the Great Ocean Road for this—because it isn’t just pretty. Leonie is the kind of person who notices what a place is made of, not only what it looks like. A drive that doubles as the world’s largest war memorial, built by returned soldiers, carries a weight that makes the coastline feel even more alive. In Leonie’s mind, the road isn’t only a ribbon of scenery; it’s a long, respectful exhale.

And in the front seat—because of course Leonie is in the front seat—there’s the 1959 black-and-chrome Studebaker Hawk. Not a random classic. Not a “some day” car. Leonie’s dream car. The one with the hawk-nose attitude and the kind of chrome that makes even a screen-lit virtual drive feel like it’s humming.

The Studebaker details Leonie would absolutely notice

Even if nobody else in the car can quote numbers, Leonie can feel what they mean. The Studebaker Hawk’s lines belong to an era when cars had faces—expressions—like they could smirk at you from the driveway. The dashboard, that signature engine-turned aluminum, isn’t just design; it’s a little ceremony every time Leonie looks down, a reminder that driving can be an event.

And there’s a quiet sweetness in how rare this particular year is. Only 7,788 built. Not common. Not loud about it either. That rarity fits the way Leonie treats this dream—like something personal, not performative. Even in a virtual trip, Leonie isn’t collecting attention; Leonie is collecting moments.

Harvey, Marty, and the sound of the “good old days”

The best part of Leonie’s trip isn’t something you can photograph: it’s the way Harvey and Marty fill the spaces between landmarks with jokes that only make sense to the three of them. That kind of laughter—half memory, half mischief—makes the road feel shorter, then somehow makes you wish it were longer.

Leonie can be looking out at ocean cliffs and still be listening for the exact second when one of them says something that sends the other two into that helpless, familiar cackle. It’s not just reminiscing. It’s proof—warm, undeniable—that the past didn’t disappear. It simply learned new ways to show up.

Leonie driving a 1959 Studebaker Hawk with friends on the Great Ocean Road. — Leonie, Harvey, and Marty—back on the Great Ocean Road the way Leonie likes it: together.

The Great Ocean Road, the way Leonie carries it

Somewhere along the virtual route, The Twelve Apostles rise up—those limestone stacks that look like they’ve been placed there on purpose, even though Leonie knows they’re the opposite of permanent. Only eight remain. That detail lands, because Leonie understands how time edits everything: coastlines, friendships, old stories. It doesn’t make it sad; it makes it precious.

At Loch Ard Gorge, the beauty comes braided with tragedy—the shipwreck story threaded into those towering yellow cliffs. Leonie doesn’t rush past that. Leonie lets the place be both things at once, the way life is. Even the note about possible step closures (as of April 2026) feels like a small reminder from the universe: “Not everything is accessible all the time. Notice what you can, while you can.”

Then the greens of Great Otway National Park—rainforest lushness, tree ferns, waterfalls with names that sound like they’ve been spoken aloud for generations. Leonie doesn’t need to get wet from the mist to remember what it feels like. The mind is powerful like that, especially when it’s powered by a shared story and a dream car with a clean silhouette.

And Bells Beach, legendary with surf history—Leonie can almost hear it: the distant shush of waves, the faint crowd energy that belongs to competitions and coastlines. It’s the kind of place that makes you sit up straighter, like the world is doing something impressive right in front of you.

At Kennett River, Leonie goes looking for koalas. There’s a tenderness to that, too—this big, glossy, chrome-edged dream of a car carrying Leonie toward something soft and quiet in the trees. The contrast feels like Leonie: stylish, yes—but always with room for wonder.

What makes it real, even when it’s virtual

The truth is, Leonie’s dream has never been only about owning a 1959 Studebaker Hawk. The car is the vessel. The destination is the excuse. What Leonie is really reaching for is that specific mix of motion and belonging—being on your way somewhere beautiful while the people beside you keep you laughing.

So the virtual road trip isn’t a substitute; it’s a statement. Leonie is saying, quietly and stubbornly: “I don’t have to wait for the perfect conditions to start living inside the dream.” And with Harvey and Marty in the picture, Leonie doesn’t just revisit the Great Ocean Road—Leonie brings the “good old days” forward, lets them ride shotgun, and gives them new air to breathe.