The now-legendary Avanti was just getting started when Studebaker pulled the plug on U.S. automobile manufacturing. The Avanti – along with the Gran Turismo – didn’t make the cut when production shifted completely to Hamilton, Ontario at Christmas 1963. Only 4,640 Avanti’s were built in 1963 and 1964 and just 519 left the assembly line for the 1964 model year as an R1 model (not supercharged). This beautiful example may only have 20,000 miles and is well-documented by the selling dealer. Could this be the lowest-mileage Avanti still around?
When Studebaker president Sherwood Egbert dreamed up the Avanti, he thought it would be the “halo car” that could help make the company financially viable again. Perhaps that could have happened if enough traction had developed for the fiberglass-bodied vehicle before Studebaker’s woes went from bad to worse. He conceived that 20,000 units a year could be sold, but in just 15 months the run-rate never came close to that. The Avanti would live on later as the Avanti II, but that’s another story for another day.
How the selling dealer came across this rare Avanti isn’t known, but it comes with loads of documentation. That includes all maintenance records, the original owner’s guide, the owner’s service book, and a list of accessories, which includes factory air conditioning. This Studebaker is powered by the venerable 289 cubic inch V8 (not to be confused with the one built by Ford) and an automatic transmission.
The car’s white paint has only been reapplied once and the interior looks immaculate. Though the car is now in Brooksville, Florida, it was first sold in Tucson, Arizona, and may have spent a lot of time in a dry climate. The 1964 Avanti’s can be visually distinguished from the 1963 editions by the use of square headlight bezels rather than round. Far fewer Avanti’s were assembled in 1964, making them harder to find today.
This looks like a very solid car, and it might be hard to locate a nicer one from the car’s second and last model year. It’s being offered here on eBay with a reserve that’s yet to be met at $28,100. If you’ve been wanting a genuine Avanti and not one of the Chevy-powered tributes made after 1965, could this be the one?
Sometimes a more creative approach to photography doesn’t help the sale of a car.
The pictures at the top make the car look like a model. After seeing the e-bay pics, the seller could have picked out the best shots rather than just dumping all the pictures from the camera with all the duplicates.
Agree….
Agree….
A shame it wasn’t the success the the company hoped for. The design was good the chassis was recycled maybe that was part of the problem. I do know in many dry lake racers Studebaker bodies were and are still quite popular. Says a lot about their aerodynamics in the styling.
Actually a great frame….
Only 809 ’64 Avantis assembled, all in the 1963 calendar year.
I detest the mirrors out on the fenders. I’ve seen factory photos of them there, on the door, and just plain without, which looks the best IMHO but of course, not practical.
The ’64’s had the woodgrain dash and wheel and console which ’63’s didn’t, at least for most of that model year.
Later ’64’s had the ‘thick’ front seat backs, which were actually an additional section attached to the seat back, but this car does not. Avanti seats from the start were praised for comfort, and were supposedly a dead copy of Alfa seats (I think it was). They looked thin though. The ‘thick’ front seat revision made the back of the seat look more substantial from the sides and rear. Some buffs say all they do is reduce rear-seat legroom, LOL.
What do you need mirrors for when yuo are faster than competition and the slower rest…….
Damn that’s one beautiful vehicle. In the early days of pissing away a minor inheritance if I hadn’t taken a shine to a Jesse Rooke show bike I’d be in the hunt on this one.
The running change 64 still had round headlights.
My friend Joel has a black 64 Avanti with 16000 miles that is all original. The paint,tires and exhaust are all original and its black with red interior and its a 4 speed too. Its much better than this one.
I’m curious about the red seat belts…interior color change, or was red the norm?
Seatbelts weren’t standard equipment in ’64. They were usually sold as a dealer accessory and on the Avanti, latch in to rings mounted through the floorboards into the frame. Easy to add or change and still available through Avanti parts suppliers. Likely someone liked the contrast and purchased a red set for their black interior.
The R1 was the base engine with the R2 , R3 and R4 as options.
9 R3 Avantis were built no R4s were made.
Is it just me, or have these Amati’s became a dime a dozen lately?
Another 6 decade old low mileage Avanti I feel if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. They were truly special when they were Studebakers but after a while they became out dated. Remember the 2004 Chrysler 300? I don’t think you should run the same body style on no car for 20yrs but that’s just me.
That was the 2005 Chrysler 300 that Chrysler ran for almost 20yrs. Kept looking for something new but it never happened. Same with the Avanti.
Is that the car model that owned a land speed record or am I thinking of something else