The 1963-64 Studebaker Avanti was a personal luxury car that came along too late and in too few numbers to help save the company, which stopped making cars after 1966 (1963 in the U.S.). But a pair of Studebaker dealers thought the Avanti was too good of a car not to keep going, so they bought the name and production facilities from what was left of Studebaker and began building the Avanti II in 1965. That car would continue in some fashion through 2007 with five sets of company owners. This 1990 model is one of the rare 4-door Avanti II’s and looks to be in excellent condition. The car is available in Allen, Texas, and here on craigslist for $24,500. Thanks for finding this tip for us, Pat L.!
When the Avanti was conceived in the early 1960s, Studebaker brass was hoping to sell 20,000 copies a year. But production delays – in part due to issues with the cars’ fiberglass bodies – and Studebaker’s fading reputation resulted in just 4,071 copies built before the company closed its South Bend, Indiana manufacturing plant at Christmas, 1963. Car production shifted to Hamilton, Ontario for a couple of more years, but the Avanti didn’t make the trip. Years later, those automobiles have become iconic among car collectors.
Between 1965 and 2007, 4,129 Avanti II’s would see the light of day, slightly more than the original. Ownership of Avanti II production would change hands several times and – with each change – the car would morph a little more. For example, in 1990 they built 90 4-door Avanti II’s like the seller’s car. It was quite luxurious and sold for $52,000 new (equals $110,000 in 2021), but somehow the styling of the Avanti didn’t look right with more than two doors (at least to me).
This ’90 Avanti II seems to be in outstanding condition and is a one-owner car with just 21,000 miles. Mechanically, these machines are not difficult to work on because Chevrolet provided the drivetrains to Avanti Motor Company. So, what’s under the hood should be a 305 cubic-inch V8 paired with a Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. The car’s air conditioning has been converted to R-134 and we’re told the rest of the automobile was completely gone through. In Excellent condition, Hagerty says these cars are worth about $20,000, but considering the mileage and overall condition, perhaps the asking price for this one isn’t out of line.
Seller wisely refrained from posting a profile shot. Minimizes very awkward lines compared to original.
OTOH the four-door’s thicker upper door frames that wrap over to the roof make it look more like a proper circa-1990 car than a rehashed ’60s leftover. Unfortunately the by then too upright windshield kills that impression.
The coupe by then was in the same “way past time to start over, guys” stylistic league of the last Grand Wagoneer and the Trabant 1.1 but at least its’ hard points were consistent.
I really like the four-door Avantis. I thought that the back seat passengers had a standard TV but I guess not. Nice one, Russ!
The four-door Avantis aren’t nearly as homely as the Camaro-based version from the early 2000s.
The one thing the have in common, they are irrelevant and have for all intents and purpose been relegated to the land of obscurity, rightfully so. They were ungainly looking and easily forgotten because they couldn’t stand on their own merit.
Steve R
Ungainly, almost certainly. Irrelevant? Hardly. The Avanti story is a fascinating part of automotive history, even the sedans and the Camaros;
Cc, the 4 door of both models is irrelevant. They were a waste of time and recourses.
Steve R
I saw a picture once of prototype 4dr Avanti Studebaker made. I believe it was sitting a warehouse with a Packard show car.
Close, there were two eleventh-hour Studebaker sedan prototypes built with styling loosely inspired by the Avanti, each done with one side 4-door and the other side 2-door, along with some detail differences on the left/right sides of the nose and tail (all common practice for styling bucks):
https://www.hemmings.com/users/169996/story/698.html
More pics:
https://www.conceptcarz.com/profile/10963,18846/1962-studebaker-avanti-prototype.aspx
https://www.conceptcarz.com/z18846/studebaker-avanti-prototype.aspx
IMO both really handsome and ahead of their time, really makes you wonder “what could have been” if the Studebaker board wasn’t already plumb fed-up with the car business, despite it remaining profitable to the bitter end.
Well, I’m on Steves side. While the original was an important part of history, the 4 doors were just someones idea of capitalizing on a design that didn’t have much appeal in the 1st place. Automotive history is littered with these so called duds. As far as the car itself, it has everything a modern car should have, just the styling too far out there, and the 60’s was a time when anything went. To have a flop in the 60’s doesn’t hold much promise 30 years later. I’ve always felt bad for Studebaker, here they introduce what they felt at the time, was a blessing for the car maker, only to be shot down, and this, a 2nd time.
The company produced 90 of these 4 door sedans Howard. Did you or Steve R. ever produce a car? Accept it for what it is. Not every car is drop dead gorgeous.
I agree with you Tony. They are certainly not everyone’s cup of tea but to criticize them as being irrelevant or a dud is simply not necessary unless you, yourself, have produced something better
The four doors were being mocked up when Studebaker folded.
In an article about Nate Altman and the Avanti revival some of the body bucks are seen in the background. Motor Trend ca. 1966.
Anyone with cash can certainly do better in styling with a pencil & paper & make it come to fruition & outsell 5-1 against this. Never cared for the styling from the get-go, even the originals. From that point, it’s irrelevant what’s under the hood. That name ‘Studebaker’ in itself, was a nail in the coffin from the start. At least for me lol. Another thing I consider is how appealing the dash layout is being how I’ll be the one looking at it all the time. Some of these ‘muscle cars’ like say a Duster or Nova, had such mundane packages to view as a dash, nothing ‘sporty’ at all & reminiscent of grandma’s car..
They are different, sort of like a Citroen with a bigger stance. Would def. get attention on cruise night!
I generally prefer the original 2 door design cars, but the color on this four door, really works well. Would make a terrific weekend cruiser GT car for road trips.
I can just see the Porsche designers’ meeting one Monday morning and hashing around the idea that they need something different to the 911…then one of the guys seeing a 4 door Avanti II and saying “hold on…hear me out…I’m thinking of something”
Wow the Avanti. Remember 1963.
That year both the Corvette came with the new split window and Studebaker with the new Round shape headlights Avanti. (I do enjoy the round shape headlights Avanti compared to the square shaped later version).
Although the exterior design is drasticaly better for the C2 the interior of the Avanti was superior and more luxury plus the Avanti had 2 extra seats which turned the car into a true GT.
Also, from a performance perspective the 327 cid GM engine was similar to the supercharged R2 289 cid Studebaker.
The split window Corvette also had a 4 door prototype which provided similar weird proportions to the car, but the 90s 4 door Avanti really killed the luxury interior of the previous 63/64 car.
Love the Studebaker story and especially their cars from the 30s.
Cain
I always thought Mazda stole the final RX rotary styling directly from the four door Avanti.
It is equally awkward and looks like an ordinary compact sedan.
The Avanti still looks good.
That won’t be said of our current crop of angry insects fifty years from now, some of which are as absurd looking as GM’s ’58s, ’57 Nash, ’58 Packard, ’58 Lincoln…
Not gonna lie. I think the design actually aged well and looks right in line with today’s sports sedans, like the Panamera, the Ghibli, Model S, etc.
This is the kind of car that an avanti owner wants to add to his garage
A convertible should also be in the collection
As a pantera owner, i have always had a softspot for the longchamp detomaso family car stint but have not found a car within my comfortable price range
Avanti be left alone.