Lightning can strike twice, as we have another late production Avanti up for sale just a few days after featuring a black on black example. This 1988 model doesn’t have mileage that’s quite as low as that car’s, but it’s still well under 50,000 original miles. The interior is in fine shape and the exterior presents well, with a body that does its best to conceal the huge safety-oriented bumpers. Throw on a set of color-matched mesh wheels and this car would look completely different and totally period correct. Find it here on eBay where bidding is over $9K with no reserve.
Though many folks still call anything made after the Studebaker years an Avanti II, the “II” was technically dropped in the mid-80s by yet another ownership group. Regardless, the identity was still the same, and everyone knew these later cars were barely connected to the nameplate that conceived of the model. The gracefulness of the original design was lost as bumpers got bigger and proportions got weird, with a sedan version thrown in there for extra variety with under 100 made. Avanti’s history was tumultuous, and with a hand-assembly building process, it took weeks to see a finished product.
Despite this, there was always seemingly a fan base that wanted to see these retro-looking rides remain in production, as evidenced by how many owners jockeyed for position after yet another managerial team failed. The engines and styling evolved with the times (and not always for the better), but you still knew it was an Avanti underneath. This one appears to have a different interior from last week’s black example, which had some awesome period Recaros installed. The seats look they came from another 80s GM product, and while not as sexy as the Recaros, the upholstery appears mint. The wood trim is likely fake and looks like it’s lifting.
This generation of the Avanti made do with a 305 V8 from a contemporary Chevrolet product, paired to a four-speed automatic transmission. While not particularly exotic, the seller does point out that it makes parts sourcing a breeze, letting you drive a rare vehicle without worrying about finding good spares. The listing doesn’t specify any recent maintenance undertaken by the seller, but the engine bay looks like the type you’d associate with a car that hasn’t been neglected. If you’re looking for a modern classic your neighbor won’t have, it’s hard to beat an Avanti for standing out – and even better is not having to shell out big bucks for annual maintenance.
Your killing me! Every time you show one of these, I want it and I am not even sure why. What a great car for the money, the fun to dollars ratio is just too high not to want it.
Plusses are it’s a beautiful, unique car with sourceable components. Not sure I dig that greenhouse of a rear window. Overdrive transmission a plus, 305 a minus.
This is an early Kelly-Cafaro regime Avanti not built on the original style Studebaker chassis. Kelly bolted the body on a Monte Carlo chassis after buying them off dealer show room floors. While they have more modern serviceability it’s a completely different car that the original 63-64 and the Avanti II 65-85.
They drive nice. I still like the early ones better.
Except for the body, there’s not much Avanti going on here. More like a kit car – Stutz, for example.
I like the earlier Avanti’s better. Maybe it’s the white paint and no chrome but the entire frontend looks like a fiberglass lift off like most gasser have.
Run, don’t walk away from this. It would be nice to have if it hadn’t been underwater at some point. Do the magnifier on the pics and look closely at the lever on the left of the steering column. How do you get rust up that high if not telltale signs of water. Look for the overspray everywhere covering up what? Look at the nuts and bolts up on the exhaust where everything else looks pristine. Look at lower door panels where the carpet is on the door and you see see the attaching screw heads with rust. Look at the carpet in the trunk where the bluish tint can be seen. Looking closely, too many signs. Love Avanti’s, I want one, just not one that has so much to hide. Buyers, beware! 10K? No thanks
Climate controls look like they are out of an 80″s Dodge Ram Van.