The Studebaker Avanti is one of those “what could have been” cars. In production for the 1963 and 1964 model years, it was the halo automobile that was supposed to help save Studebaker. But it came too late and without huge sales numbers, so the car didn’t make the shift to Canada when Stude only built vehicles there from 1964 to 1966. The seller has a rare, supercharged edition, which numbered just 1,552 copies in 1963. Located in Hudson, Florida, we’re told it’s an original car in excellent running condition. It’s available here on eBay, where the current bid is $1,000 with a reserve likely well north of there.
Conceived in 1961 with a model year target of 1963, the Avanti used a fiberglass body and mechanical bits from the existing parts bin. Production delays caught Studebaker and its dealers off guard, and the car never came close to achieving its annual sales goal of 20,000 units. Instead, Studebaker only mustered 3,834 copies off the assembly line in 1963 and only 809 more for 1964 when U.S. production was ceased in December of 1963. 40% of the total population had the Paxton supercharger that enabled the 289 cubic inch V8 to achieve one horsepower per CI.
We don’t know the history of this Studebaker, and the seller has only had it for a year. During this time, he/she has replaced the carburetor, given the car a tuneup, changed out the fluids, and done some work on the brakes. The seller says the car runs well, so we assume the supercharger works without problems.
The paint color of the Avanti is turquoise with a matching interior, one of the more popular combinations we’ve seen here on Barn Finds. The odometer reads 89,000 mile,s which we assume is original, and the car has been used principally at shows and events. No mention is made of any needed repairs, and the photos provided don’t do the car justice in terms of presenting the vehicle in its entirety. If you were going to find and buy an Avanti, the supercharged version would be the way to go, right?
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