I’ve always been a fan of the original Avanti, Studebaker’s short-term “halo” car. And I often wonder how Studebaker’s fate might have changed if they hadn’t stopped building automobiles in South Bend, Indiana. However, if the car had made the production trip to Hamilton, Ontario, the Avanti would surely have been powered by Chevy engines like the rest of the mix. This sweet first year (1963) Avanti is one of the 40% that were built with a supercharger, and some, but not all of the 64,000-mile Stude, is as from the factory. Located in Woodbridge, Virginia, this turquoise Avanti is available here on eBay, where the bidding has reached $45,000, but below the reserve that has been set.
The Lark compact of 1959 gave Studebaker a much-needed shot in the bank book. But it was short-lived as the rest of the U.S. automakers were into the compact space within a year or two. Company president Sherwood Egbert had a vision for a new personal luxury car to help boost sales, and the Avanti was born. The speed of execution was important, so the Avanti had a fiberglass body and relied on existing mechanical hardware to power the new auto.
But delays kept Studebaker from producing more than 4,643 copies in 1963/1964 instead of the 20,000 a year the accountants needed. When the decision was made mid-year ’64 to consolidate assembly operations in Canada (cheaper), the Avanti was dead, along with the Gran Turismo and trucks. The Avanti would soon be resurrected by a new company, but that’s a story for another day.
The seller’s car is one of 1,833 Avantis made with a Paxton supercharger, designated “R2” (“R1” was reserved for the non-charger editions). As the story goes, this Stude was held by its original owners for 37 years (until Y2K). The second owner had a “refurbishment” done in 2007/2008, which seemed to focus on what’s under the hood. The 290 hp, 289 cubic inch “Jet Thrust” V8 was peaked and tweaked, and the factory automatic transmission was jettisoned in favor of a newer 700R4 4-speed automatic, and the brakes were upgraded, too.
This car apparently left the custody of its second owner in 2021. We’re told the turquoise paint (IMO the best color on these cars) is mostly original except for a little touch-up here and there. The interior looks spectacular with only a minor tear in the driver’s seat for an upholstery shop to repair. This car rates as one of the cosmetically nicest Avantis we’ve seen here on Barn Finds.
One of the nicest R2s I’ve seen in awhile, I’ll be curious to see what it sells for.
Great styled car.
I think so too, but a friend used to tell me that they looked weird. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess
It’s a shame they weren’t able to get these out sooner. They had good styling for the era and decent performance. What they didn’t have was deep pockets so chassis is old and the engine design was not on par with the big three then although this model is no slouch on the top end. Thanks to slick body and the supercharger they did set some records. Hard to say what might have been had Studebaker had made it a few more years. This looks like a nice example of a first year car.
Surprised to see a rear swaybar! Is that factory installed?!
Yes, that a factory sway bar.
This is one of the nicest ones I have ever seen. I have a neighbor who has one, and is real serious about them. I am anxious to hear what he thinks.
I’ve been on the highways/ state routes in VA and was passed by this car with my wife in the car. She was puzzles why I geeked out over seeing this absolute unicorn. It looks better in person than in the photos 100%. I’ll still keep my Morris and MG though. I think servicing that supercharger would cost more than either of my old cars.
The video on eBay shows it doing 84 mph at 2600 rpm. Does that seem correct those who know?
Since it’s been retrofitted with a GM 700R4 overdrive transmission, I expect it’s correct.
Actually a Paxton supercharger rebuild is not terribly expensive. My Dad had one of these on order that he never got. He was quite distressed when told hus would never get built. So he bought a ’58 Corvette and we restored it. It was his daily driver until I turned 16. Dad had a 1955 Corvette that we restored and at one time he was contemplating a Devin. (I found the brochure and order form in his files after he he passed away. He really liked fiberglass cars!
Ended at $47,100.
Reserve Not Met.
21 bids.
Relisted. To add pictures, the listing says.
I am starting to believe that A.) either the supercharged versions was not very rare, or B.) only the supercharged have mostly survived until now. There seems to be way more of the supercharged model come up for sale than the standard models. JMHO
Beautiful Avanti, I have always wanted one, but a nice one never came up when I could have bought.
Yes it was along with traction bars