The Studebaker Avanti is one of the few automobiles to have a second life after being discontinued. The original Avanti ran in the 1963 and 1964 model years only to become a victim of the company’s weak financial position. In 1965, two Stude dealers revived the car as the product of the Avanti Motor Co., and it continued for another 40 years. This 1988 example of the Avanti has been sitting in the seller’s garage for ages and needs restoration. Located in Austin, Texas, this 1 of 150 copies built that year is available here on eBay. Only a single bid of $6,000 has been cast so far.
Studebaker dealers Nate Altman, his brother Arnold, and Leo Newman bought the Avanti name, leftover inventory, and production capacity when Studebaker quit building cars in the U.S. The company shifted output to Canada for a couple of years before it was all kaput. In its brief original run, less than 5,000 Avanti’s were produced. Once the trio got things going, new production continued on their watch into 1983 after which the company changed hands several times. The last Avanti II (or just Avanti later) was assembled in 2006.
Businessman Michael Kelly owned the company for three years (1986-88) and only built 350 of the cars. These vehicles differed from earlier editions with plastic bumper covers instead of chrome. Since Studebaker powerplants had long since vanished, Chevrolet power was generally used in the reborn Avanti’s and a 305 cubic inch V8 and a TH-350 Turbo-Hydramatic transmission are in this machine. The seller reports trying to get it going but to no avail.
The photos seem to present a nicer car on the passenger side than the driver’s side. But, either way, the seller concedes that new paint should be in order. And while we’re told the interior has been detailed, the photos show bucket seats as being torn and not torn, so which is the case today? A lack of time prevents the seller from working on the car further and will send along some spare parts to help with its rebirth. If you’ve always wanted an Avanti, would you be okay with the later car instead of an authentic Studebaker?
Question for the gurus.
Which is worth more? The original 63/64 model or this 1988 1 of 150?
Bear in mind over here we only got the original.
If your having a car show , I would want the older original model Studebakers . The Avanti was part of the Studebaker Family but was still in production long after they closed their doors in 1966 . I highly doubt that Studebaker will make a comeback due to the fact that there’s too much competition in the auto industry today . The rest is history !
I want nothing to with an ’87-’88 Avanti regardless of its value. The article says that they differ from the earlier models in that they have plastic bumpers instead of chrome. Well, yes, but the ’83-’85 also have plastic bumpers. The REAL difference is that ’87-’88 are a rebodied Monte Carlo SS — no more Studebaker X-member frame or hog troughs. The GM G-body chassis is wholly inadequate to support the plastic body, and if I wanted a Monte Carlo SS, I’d just buy a Monte Carlo SS. The ’89-’91 are slightly better being on a Caprice chassis, but I really don’t have any interest in any Avanti after ’85.
kevinjames77 you say :The GM G-body chassis is wholly inadequate to support the plastic body, do you mean that the body is to heavy for the frame or the connections from the frame to the body aren’t adequate? If you know about this could you please explain a little what you mean I’d like to know. Thanks, Bobdog
Agreed. I tend to think of these ’87-onward cars as Avanti tributes rather than proper Avantis, sharing little other than their body shape with the earlier cars. Aside from the change of chassis, their interiors are also completely different. To my eye, these even seem slightly softer-edged than the earlier models, leading me to wonder if they just pulled molds off an older Avanti and modified them to cast revised fiberglass bodies that would better fit the new GM chassis.
That said, IMO a credible case could be made that the Newman-Altman Avanti II cars from ’65-82 were genuine continuations of the Studebaker original production, built in the same South Bend factory using residual NOS Lark convertible chassis (these were reinforced vs. the std. Lark chassis) and other Studebaker components, except for the substitution of a series of various SBC V8 engines in place of the original Studebaker V8.
To clear the GM V8’s taller intake stack, they had to raise the Avanti’s front end by an inch or so, and lower the front wheelarches accordingly to close the resulting wheel gap, thereby losing the originals’ raked stance and adding some visual bulk to the front fenders.
I have often wondered how readily an Avanti II could be reverted to the original raked stance and higher arches with a modern low-profile FI intake plenum (I’d prolly also revert to original-style round headlight buckets along with this).
Also, the Stephen Blake-era cars produced from ’83-85 are an interesting transitional period. Starting in ’83, a limited run of 20th Anniversary Edition cars were somewhat modified from the earlier Avanti II, gaining molded body-color wraparound bumpers, glassed-in fully rectangular headlights, Recaro seats, and other upgraded materials, trim and equipment, making for a more premium and modernized evolution of the Avanti II while otherwise remaining the same as before, as were the other ’83s aside from this limited edition.
That seems to have been a sort of pilot program for those changes, which then apparently became standard for all ’84-85 Avantis until Blake’s company went bankrupt and sold out to Michael Kelly, commencing the more heavily GM-ified era of Avantis.
I still like all the Avanti cars. My Dad ordered anew one but never got his because of the original shut-down. He ended up with a 1958 Corvette instead. I have always liked the body style and prefer the original Studi engine. But if one is equipped with the SBC. Then an easy upgrade is possible.
I remember seeing an original Avanti in the faculty parking lot at the junior college I attended back in the mid-80’s. Beautiful car, but not my style. GLWTS.
Always suspicious of “0” feedback bidders on EBay… I’ll watch this one as my ‘76 still hasn’t gotten a proper home in over a year.. and is a much better car than this one.
If you click onto the seller’s listed name on eBay, it shows that he has 100% positive feedback.
He was mentioning bidders and you reply about sellers , not the same thing …
Why is there no pictures of the front or rear of the car, only side shots? I’d offer 5k and put a built SBC and trans and fix the seats and have a fun reliable driver for reasonable amount of money
I wondered about that also! I guess anyone interested could ask for more photos.
That looks to have been one HOT Avanti!
I have always admired the Avanti. Got to see one of the very first models as they were put on display in airport lobbies. Saw it at Louisville’s Standifer Field in the fall 1962. Still got the original brochure they gave out. One of my friend’s father was Bob Andrews who designed the interior. Later in the early 1980s our company bought several Series II as company cars so I got to drive them. By then they were a little outdated and camaros were better put together. I have no interest in the later cars once they changed the dash design. The original dash design and body go together.
Only Avanti is the original … and a sucky 305 in this one to boot …