When it comes to obscure cars and trucks, the owners of these vehicles can sometimes overhype the rarity or desirability of their vehicles. The later production Avanti models that came later after Studebaker sold off their interests in the company and are generally considered less desirable, as the design seemed to lose its connection with the original concept. However, this 1988 Avanti II LSC listed here on craigslist may be an intriguing exception as this extremely limited production model is said to be one of just 29 made – and is equipped with a Paxton supercharger.
My main gripe with the later Avanti II is from a design standpoint, and really, those complaints aren’t limited to just a small-scale brand like Avanti. The rush to address safety concerns by adding gargantuan bumpers was an issue that plagued multiple manufacturers, and when you compare this perspective with the same vantage point of the original Studebaker design, you can easily see what was lost. However, what’s more important to take note of is the stretched appearance of this Avanti II LSC, as this model is nine inches longer than the standard coupe, a feature that is especially evident in the back seat.
As you can see, the back seat has almost limo-like qualities, and according to some message boards, the company would install a rear console with a color TV. Of course, the TV would no longer work, as it was an analog device, but it’s still a fascinating footnote in terms of what the company was hoping to woo customers with an abundance of luxury. It’s worth noting that at the time of the LSC model’s development, Avanti was going through yet another transitional period in ownership, as production was moving from South Bend, Indiana to Youngstown, Ohio.
The Paxton supercharger is a very cool feature, and it’s difficult to pin down how many cars got this high-performance option. There’s one errant post on an Avanti message board indicating just two cars got this option, but it’s impossible to verify whether that’s correct. It’s also a nice nod to the original Avanti R2 that was offered with a supercharger and is among the most desirable Avantis ever made. The listing indicates this rare Avanti II has just over 40,000 original miles and the seller is asking $38,000 for this limited-production luxury car. Would you prefer one of these later Avanti IIs over the original Studebaker design?
Golly, I just don’t know if others feel this way, but I always felt the car was a dud, why would you try anything with it? Don’t get me wrong, many of the changes were for the better, and I bet it’s a sweet ride. Once again, it was the outrageous cost, the Avanti LSC, ( I believe they dropped the ll ) was almost $56,000, pushing it well beyond the El Dorado. Same thing, the market just wasn’t there, and the Avanti quietly disappeared, again.
Everything the Avanti had that was appealing, was filtered out more and more with each new version. This one is longer, blockier, has ridiculous looking bumpers, and has little to offer that many other “one-offs” can’t.
Wasnt it a camaro drivetrain in 88 yea too expensive However I always liked them they had their own style
This one is a first for me. It looks enough like the original and II model but is the longer wb based on another car from that time? Cool car for the right steward nonetheless.
As noted, this is an Avanti not an “Avanti II.” The “II” was dropped by previous company owner (1982-86) Stephen Blake when the car moved to the Chevy Monte Carlo platform. It used the 305ci Chevy V8. Earlier cars that still used the Studebaker chassis had the “II.”
The $38k price is a fantasy. The insurance company site puts the top, #1 concours value at $23.6k.
Since the original Avanti (which I’d own in a heartbeat), they drifted further and further off course, until, in my opinion, this car comes across as just a poor copy of the original. I know, they had to modernize the design but now it’s no longer the true Avanti, not even close, it’s just a custom car that loosely resembles one. I guess afterwards it was even worse, as there was a four-door version in the 90s.
With every manufacturer doing nothing but 4 doors in the nineties (with the exception of the Cadillac Eldorado) who’s to say if Studebaker still existed they wouldn’t make the Avanti a 4 door?
Every car goes through evolution because of changing times, changing tastes, changing government interference or they just get dropped (again, the Cadillac Eldorado)
The Studebaker Avanti was a great car, especially considering it was the early 1960s, and enough rich people saw that when Studebakers demise came to continue the car in an ever changing environment.
Wow,just saw a Avanti on Auto Parts City that a couple turned in with 30 k miles because it wouldn’t start,they put a fuel pump in and it fired right up.
As stated before these late Avantis do no justice to the originals. The front is all off and the back bumpers are hideous. The 9 inch increase throws the overall cleaness of the car off. And the 305 v8 was a dog. If you are going to spend 30k you can find an original Avanti with the original intended looks. Very hard pass on this one.
Am I the only one who thinks that this looks like a kit car version of the Avanti?
My original comments on the square headlights was wrong. Certainly agree the later cars did nothing for the overall looks of the car.
I can’t believe that the factory would choose such a fugly wheel, but the ad shows 2 Avantis wearing them.
The proportions are out of whack, UGLY!The wheels a nogo, also.
As said, an ugly, cartoonish Monte Carlo caricature of an Avanti.