Studebaker’s Hail Mary: 1963 Avanti R1

The Avanti – aimed at rescuing Studebaker from bankruptcy – failed in its primary mission. But it succeeded in a way no one expected: such was the passion for its quirky styling and permissive customization, that it outlasted its parent by decades. The Avanti was conceived in Palm Springs, where Raymond Loewy – called to task by CEO Sherwood Egbert – had installed his design team in a rental house. The four men conjured a clay model in just 40 days. The use of fiberglass panels and Studebaker’s existing 289 cu. in V8 further slashed development time while imbuing the new car with impressive performance. The Avanti was unveiled just 14 months after the first sketch, at the 1962 New York International Automobile Show. Here on eBay is a beautifully restored and mildly upgraded 1963 Avanti R1, priced at $25,000 and located in Emory, Texas. Curvette found this wonderful Studebaker for us – thanks!

While the Avanti was under development, Egbert was busy buying other companies, namely Paxton Corporation (run by Andy Granatelli), which made superchargers. The acquisition allowed him to offer both a normally aspirated engine (the R1) and a supercharged version, the R2. The R1 was plenty powerful with 240 hp on tap, but the R2 was another thing altogether, notching 290 hp. Both cars received big ventilated rear drum brakes and Bendix front discs. The Lark’s three-speed manual was standard, but buyers could opt for a T-10 four-speed or a Borg Warner automatic. On this example, most of the mechanicals underhood were rebuilt; the transmission and differential were serviced; and the front brakes were replaced; everything is said to work well.

The factory gauges have been changed out for AutoMeters, and the radio is a Retro Classic vintage-look unit. The AC components have been replaced and recharged with 13A refrigerant. The trunk was painted with spray-on bed liner, and the lights were upgraded to LED bulbs. The Avanti was a sports car, but it was also a luxury car, so leather upholstery, wood, and chrome trim were par for the course. Even the headliner was given special treatment. The car rides on new tires.

The Avanti’s styling was mildly controversial at first, restraining sales to a few thousand units. The slack volume wasn’t enough to keep Studebaker afloat, and the company closed its South Bend plant in 1963. Fascination with the odd-looking car persisted, however, and two dealers bought the rights to the car’s tooling and name. In fact, Nate Altman and Leo Newman rented space in a pair of South Bend factories to make the car, with new-issue Avantis gliding onto roads starting in 1965. The Avanti II was produced with various engines until the early 1980s. The car’s design and manufacturing rights passed through several more owners, with variants emerging in fits and starts until 2006, when the last Avanti was made in Mexico. It’s been twenty years since then – what do you think, will someone find a way to bring the Avanti back once again?