The premise of a car being a former magazine feature is a hallmark of vehicles from a certain era. Certainly, in the 1970s and 80s it was considered a milestone event for the owner to find out an editor wanted to include their vehicle in a spread of any kind. This has become less of an achievement as the publishing world has lost some relevance, but it’s still a notable anecdote in the history of a car. The 1980 Avanti II shown here on craigslist apparently found its way into the pages of Avanti Magazine, which is published by the Avanti Owner’s Association, before going into storage. The seller is asking $7,000, and thanks goes to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find.

Now, it seems most likely – barring holding the actual publication in my hands – that the seller means that the previous owner sent in a few photos with a long-legged gal pal and it got included in that month’s round-up of “Owner’s Rides,” or what have you. But it’s still something to brag about at the next meeting of fellow Avanti enthusiasts that you own an actual magazine car, even if it was included in the “Letters to the Editor” section. And, it’s always a win to have copies of old photographs showing a car in its prime, along with the mystery model who was convinced to pose with it (let’s hope it wasn’t the previous owner’s mom).

The listing recounts how the Avanti II was found in heated storage belonging to a helicopter pilot who had a private collection of vehicles. It’s interesting to think of the Avanti perhaps being a bit of a jet-set vehicle, a car to be seen in and one that perhaps convinced passers-by that you were a captain of industry or some other pillar of influence; after all, these were not cheap cars to buy when new. The later models like this one that came about after the Studebaker years always seemed to lose some of that original luster as the styling evolved, but the interiors were consistently well-appointed with wood trim and leather – and this one even has a power sunroof.

Power comes from a Chevy-sourced 350 paired with GM’s Turbo 350 putting the power to the ground. At this point in Avanti’s history, the cars were still built on the Studebaker-designed chassis with turnaround time of 10-12 weeks per car, depending on options. We forget that these were still very much a special order vehicle, even after the various ownership changes over the years that would seemingly invite shortcuts and a steady cheapening of the brand. The seller notes that this Avanti still runs well despite some obvious paint issues, and that the brakes, transmission cooler, and radiator have all been replaced in the last 1,000 miles.