The Avanti was supposed to help save Studebaker in the early 1960s. But it never managed to reach a sustainable production volume and was dropped when the company ceased U.S. auto assemblies in late 1963. Of the 1964 editions that were built, 281 had a Paxton supercharger. And supposedly (per the seller), only 12 ‘64s had leftover round headlights from 1963. The seller’s black beauty is said to be one such car, and it presents well overall. Located in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, this well-heeled Stude is available here on craigslist for $35,000.
Studebaker developed the Avanti on a short timeline as a 1963 offering. It was to be the company’s “halo” car that would help fill Studebaker’s coffers by hitting 20,000 copies a year. But production delays and other problems prevented the fiberglass-bodied car from achieving even 5,000 units in less than two years. The Avanti would live on long after Studebaker’s demise as the Avanti II, which was soldiered by former dealers and others from 1965 to 2006.
We’re told this ’64 is being offered by its second owner. Little of its history is imparted, but it’s either a very nice original with 35,000 miles or an older restoration. The body, paint, and interior look good, though the driver’s bucket seat needs some repair to the upholstery. Just 809 of the ‘64s were ever built, and one-third had the R-2 supercharged 289 V8 like this one. The car also has an automatic transmission supplied by Borg-Warner.
As the story goes, most ‘64s had rectangular headlight bezels. But somewhere between 12 and as many as 150 may have had the round bezels left in inventory from the ‘63s. So, a car like the seller’s is especially rare with the Paxton blower. Adding to the appeal of this black marvel are the gold wire wheels. Are you a taker at the seller’s asking price? BTW, kudos to Tony Primo for the tip!
With round headlights, I thought that would be a ’63. 1964 had square trim rings around the headlights