Rare is the occasion that a car lives on for years after its original manufacturer ceased operations. But the Studebaker Avanti is one of them. The South Bend Avanti only lasted two model years (1963-64) but was resurrected by a couple of Studebaker dealers, and the car lived on for another 40+ years. First called the Avanti II, it reverted to just Avanti in 1983, and this beautiful convertible was built in 1991. According to the seller, only 19 were produced that year, and this one is a stout survivor. Located with what may be a dealer in Tucson, Arizona, this beauty is available here on eBay for $39,990 OBO.
The original Avanti Motor Car Co. was owned by the Robert Altman group (1965-83). That was followed by the Blake group (1983-85), Kelly (1986-88), Cafaro (1989-91), and AMC (not American Motors; 2001-06 after skipping a decade). Except for the last period, all chassis and drivetrains came from Chevrolet, the last from Pontiac or Ford. The seller’s 1991 edition is probably sitting on a Monte Carlo chassis with a 305 cubic inch V8 and a TH-350 automatic transmission.
Because production numbers per year were low, we doubt any of these ownership groups made money except for Altman (one of the Studebaker dealers that saved the car). The convertible was a brief iteration during the Cafaro years, and the chrome bumpers had been replaced by rubber/plastic ones, so the vintage look of the car was sadly compromised. The white beauty here with a red/maroon interior has just 32,500 miles.
Most of the listing for this car is “marketing speak,” which suggests a dealer or cut-and-paste. We’re guessing the paint is original, but the top is new, and the leather upholstery shows just a bit of wear on the driver’s seat. The seller says the car has just been serviced and is ready for a road trip. This includes the fuel system, suggesting the Avanti was dormant for a time. The tires are new and were installed in 2026. BTW, in the original 1963-64 Avanti run, there was no convertible model.
Very nice, red interiors are not for me. Why does it say Dino on the steering wheel?
The orange steering wheel and Center Council clash terribly with the red interior.
The wheel is wood and matches the wood dash board .
Maybe the coloring in the photograph is making the colors clash.
Dino is a brand of aftermarket steering wheels. In this case a woodgrain model.
Seller claims this was built on a 1990 Caprice chassis, which is consistent, since this was a period with no Monte Carlo production.
Yup, Avantis were built on Monte Carlo chassis for one year only, 1987. Then GM canceled the RWD G-body platform, so Avanti production moved to Caprice chassis.
Before all that, they were built on NOS Studebaker Lark convertible chassis until the stockpile of those finally ran out around ’85.
It’s still beautiful, maybe more. Could still use a Paxton
Classy classic!
Nice looking Avanti!!
It is rare… it is attractive… it is classic. But $40K, of rare, attractive, classic? I don’t think so.
I wish this was made now , lovely styling and im sure with the right sized engine etc it would sell easily .
I had a resto-modded ‘89 convertible with a 383 crate motor, 4L60E trans and a Ford 9” rear with 4:82 gears for 7 years, selling it 5 years ago to get back to having just 1 Avanti, a ‘76 I’ve had for 15 years. The ‘91’s are said to be the best of the ‘87-‘91 production. I also had a ‘64 for 3 years when I was a teenager. In my Avanti owner experiences, I found the Avanti II’s to be the best quality of 3 generations of Avantis regarding build quality, fit and finish, as well as overall quality and performance. Studebaker had many build issues and Carfaro was not a seasoned car builder. No car got more looks than the Lamborghini red convertible with black interior/black top with a rumbling 383 motor.
Avanti IIs were basically a continuation of the Studebaker production run, using all the same components except for the Chevy engine and some minor body alterations to accommodate it.
They had to raise the front end by about an inch, and lower the wheelarches accordingly to close the resulting wheel gap, to clear the taller intake stack of the Chevy engine. This gave up a bit of the originals’ raked stance and leaner front-end massing.
It’s unusual for a convertible to look so outstandingly beautiful with the top up. But that maroon color is magnificent. Yes, the wood color in the interior does clash with the red and the red does not really go that well with the convertible top’s maroon. But I forgive all of this. The car stands out very positively.
Any idea where the folding top was sourced?
Anyone who likes a black interior, let alone in a convertible, just doesn’t get anything about design or use.
I’m not a big fan of the originals but this I like, and it looks great with the top down. It’s already sold though with a best offer accepted. Btw Tucson Motor Company is a dealer Russ, they’ve been in business here for over 30 years, and your call on the copy and paste was spot on. Their website has exactly the same writeup. The site is Tucsonclassics dot com if anyone is interested.
I’ve always wanted to love the Avanti, but something about the styling was just too, I don’t know, weird? AWKWARD even? But FINALLY, an Avanti I can actually say I love! Chopping off the strangely-styled roof, even replaced with the soft top up, is an instant and amazing improvement! Now I can actually go to sleep at night instead of tossing and turning, trying to figure out exactly what it was about the Avanti that I couldn’t vibe with! Great transformation!
As an old Studebaker Dealer, I wonder what would have happened if Lee Iacocca, had gone Studebaker rather than Chrysler.
Timothy:
I don’t mean to be picky but that steering wheel and console aren’t “orange” but a woodgrain to match the dash/IP…. an unfortunate shade to be sure. I would describe the interior color more “oxblood” than “red” though.
I’d love to have this beautiful convertible in my garage. A terrific reinvention of the original Avanti!
I have long liked the looks of an Avanti but after awhile I got a little bored. This one is incredibly eye catching! It could use a bit more engine or a Paxton as was suggested. It doesn’t have to be a rocket but a car like this should at least have 300 horsepower.