The 1963 Avanti deserved better than fate delivered. Designed and produced by Studebaker as a halo model, it was a genuine Grand Tourer that failed to save the rapidly imploding company. If buyers ordered it with the right drivetrain combination, it provided above-average performance for its class. This Avanti features the desirable supercharged R2 V8, but it needs its share of TLC. If you feel it is time to admit a quirky and interesting classic into your life, you will find the Avanti Listed here on eBay in Wylie, Texas. The seller has set a BIN of $29,800 but may entertain offers.
For an American luxury car, Studebaker produced a vehicle with left-field thinking. Styled by Raymond Loewy, the company constructed the body in fiberglass. There’s no denying it is distinctive, with people loving or loathing its appearance. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground with opinions, and the split seems to be roughly 50:50. The VIN for this Avanti indicates it rolled off the production line in South Bend, Indiana, in October 1962. It features Avanti Gold paint, but there is no indication whether it has undergone any prior repaint or restoration work. The paint exhibits a few imperfections below the layer of dust, but its shine suggests that some careful polishing might see it present acceptably as a survivor-grade classic. The fiberglass panels look good, with no signs of cracks or defects. The exterior trim condition ranges between good and restorable, while there are no issues with the tinted glass. This Avanti rolls on a mixture of wheels, meaning the buyer may need to search for the correct items if originality is a crucial consideration in this build.
This Avanti’s interior is a mixed bag, although the overall impression is positive for a vehicle of this vintage. The original owner ordered it with its interior trim in Color Scheme No. 4. It gave the car Fawn trim on the dash, rear parcel shelf, and upper door trims. The lower door trims and seats feature Black upholstery, with the carpet being distinctive Black/Fawn. The upholstered surfaces look good, with no glaring faults or physical damage. The buyer will need to source a new carpet set, and the cracked wheel requires repair or replacement. There are no aftermarket additions, with the original owner equipping the car with power windows and an AM radio with the optional rear speaker.
Studebaker offered potential buyers two engine choices for powering their new Avanti, with the pick of the bunch being the supercharged 289ci R2 V8. Producing 290hp, it sent its horses to the Twin Traction rear end via a four-speed manual transmission. Performance figures were impressive compared to the Avanti’s natural competition like the Ford Thunderbird. Pointed at a ¼ mile, the Studebaker could storm through the trap in 15.8 seconds before running out of breath at 135mph. The mechanical health and numbers-matching status of this classic is unclear. The hose from the Paxton supercharger has gone, and the seller doesn’t indicate whether the motor turns freely. They appear approachable, so posing plenty of questions on the subject would be worth the effort before committing the funds to purchase this classic.
When production of the Avanti ground to a halt in December 1963, only 4,647 cars had rolled off the production line. That figure fell far short of the company’s projections and didn’t help save Studebaker from extinction. With the tooling and production rights passing through the hands of several subsequent manufacturers, the Avanti soldiered on in various forms until 2006. They may not be the most desirable car in the classic market, but values have begun climbing for those featuring the supercharged V8. It is difficult to say whether that is enough to justify the BIN price, but if the seller accepts a reasonable offer, it is a restoration project that deserves further investigation. Could that be enough to tempt you?
Pretty ambitious price for no underside shots and the exhaust falling off of it. A suspect engine does nothing to create fuzzy feelings either.
Too much money , wrong rims, pipes loose, and photos out if a junkyard
Neat car with a poor hood fit and a horrible ad. Could be a bargain, but probably not. A dealer with common sense would have described it thoroughly if it was worth any money.
I assume it doesn’t run right and has rust in the hog troughs. Why bother to call if the seller won’t own up to it in writing? But, at least the original options are well-documented.
I’m going to take a hard pass, and I LIKE Avanti styling.
Dennis Collins is selling this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbduRHkYWSI
Thanks for posting that link. After watching the video, I think more of the car but even less of the ad description.
I’m still going to pass on buying it… but without prejudice. It’s neat.
with the hose cut from the super charger to carb i would guess less than steller performance from either
Round headlights. Stick shift. R2 model. Hits all the buttons. Price isn’t really too bad but I definitely would perform a PPI to check those hog troughs. And I’d like to know what’s in that trunk.
If you connect to the link from the eBay at posted in a prior comment ther are pictures of what’s in the trunk.
Relatively clear when you blow them up.
The CA seller said he had four steel wheels for it. Two are mounted on the front. One is loose with a tire on it. I never saw the fourth steel wheel. Is it in the trunk?
Collins first put this Avanti up for sale in April. Perhaps he’s too firm on the price or there are rust issues no one is admitting.
Of all the beautiful cars made by Studebaker, this not one. Its bulbous, awful front end. Enzo Ferrari didnt say this is the most beautiful car ever made. He didnt say that about the Jag either. If so, no one heard it, no one recorded it. It’s a myth perpetrated by jag lovers…another bulbous, out of proportion car
I’ve always wanted to like the Avanti, but for some reason, Studebaker had a thing for putting a dip in the body lines on some of their cars giving it a odd profile; looking at the car from the side it seems to dip in the center , giving the impression that the nose sits higher than the middle .
This probably belongs to Dennis Collins
So it looks like the car did when Collins bought it. Same carpet same rear wheels.
What gives?\
Apparently he didnt restore it or sell it with some maintenance, new tires and matching wheels etc. Unless Collins is in Wylie Texas did he flip it with the Jeep? he was so hot on it. Did he find something amiss that he didnt want to put the money into it? Inquiring minds want to know.
What gives? Is Collins selling it or did he flip it. ? Appears nothing has been done to it since the Cali buyer sold it to Collins.
I assume Dennis Collins is one of the owners of “Collins Brothers Jeep”: https://collinsbrosjeep.com/1963-studebaker-avanti-r2-supercharged-4spd-3r1436/. It’s located northeast of Dallas in Wylie, Texas.
He obviously transported the Avanti to Wylie in April, cleaned the interior, and got the engine to start with gas from a plastic soda bottle. Other than that, the car doesn’t appear to be changed from when he bought it. He didn’t even bother to mount the two stock rear wheels.
I have no idea what Collins paid for it. However, I’m guessing he’s concerned about not making a profit flipping it. It doesn’t take three months to sell an old Avanti if the price is fair. He’s in too deep and by now he knows it.
The next buyer of this car is going to be immediately underwater. That’s fine if you’re not getting it as an “investment” but because you want to own this model with these particular options in this condition.
By the way, you can probably buy a factory-supercharged Avanti with a 4-speed and pretty paint that’s already roadworthy for less than $50,000. Buying this one for almost $30,000 would be… uh… financially unwise. You’ll have to be in love.
I just realized these would look great as a shooting brake.
Know a older gentleman who had a alignment shop north of Pittsburgh he has at least 5 different ones ( I know there is a Hawk) in a large garage/ workshop along with all kinds of accumulated car stuff. Saving them for a rainy day I guess. He wouldn’t let me take any pictures to share.