The 1963 Studebaker Avanti offered here on eBay is a gently worn example with substantial survivor credentials. The car is bid to $14,100, reserve not met, and it can be driven a short distance away from its home in Lewisville, Texas, pending a brake job that should be completed by the buyer in the near future. The seller purchased the car from an estate, stored it for an unstated period of time, and is now hoping to resell it at a profit. Some work was performed before storage, including the installation of new bias ply tires and shocks, a new exhaust, an NOS master cylinder, and more recently, an NOS fuel pump.
The Avanti was sold by Studebaker for only two years, with production sent into limbo when the South Bend plant closed in late 1963. Designed by Raymond Loewy, it was Studebaker’s attempt to resurrect sales. Everything about the car was done in a hurry – from the forty-day design period to the swift production of a clay model, to the decision to make it from fiberglass (originally using the same company that molded the 1953 Corvette) and its introduction just over a year after conception at the 1962 New York Automobile Show. The design was a “love it or hate it” situation, but even if it had been received more enthusiastically, manufacturing problems caused quality issues. Fewer than 5,000 Avantis were made and sold. This car has the base R1 engine: a 289 cu. in. V8, good for 240 bhp with a high-lift cam, dual exhaust, and four-barrel carburetor. The transmission is a Borg Warner three-speed automatic. This car is said to run and shift well, though the seller notes that the carb needs “tuning”.
The Avanti was a luxury grand tourer, and the interior reflects that niche, with full instrumentation including a vacuum gauge and a speedometer that reads up to 140 mph, a vanity, and front bucket seats. The rear bench seat was partially contoured. This interior reflects wear commensurate with the car’s roughly 80,000 miles – a bit of loose vinyl here and there, a crack in the base of the steering wheel, and surfaces that need refinishing. All the lights work, and the doors and windows open and close as they should. The glass is clear with no stars or cracks.
The eBay listing includes copious photos, particularly of the underside. This one shows off the new exhaust system. Photos of the “hog trough” boxes – metal sections that tie the Avanti’s body onto the narrow Lark frame that it was built on – show they are quite solid. One of my favorite features of any vintage car is documentation, and this one comes with original books and manuals. As with many underloved production cars, the Avanti has gathered fans with the passage of time. The scarcity of cars has contributed to strong pricing for nice examples. Where do you think this one should sell?
What’s up with all these Avanti’s ? I am not complaining, I kind of like them and think I would also like to have one. Many might not agree ,but of the 3 here on B/F this one would be my first choice. Why? Price might be the lowest, and it appears to me unmolested and everything is there. As the author some is light cosmetic restoration.
The recent R2 post with these colors shows a black rug also, but a poor one. This one shows the original color of a black rug with this interior, contrary to the speculation in the former comments.
I definitely prefer this originality even though there will be a few needs.
I drive an ’81 II occasionally and am comfortable going anywhere in it.
This is definitely one I gravitate to even requiring some work. The price is right and maybe a bit low but what really grabs me is it being unmolested. So what if the carpeting does not match that can be remedied. It has 60 years on it and like me it needs work but mine is rather futile but much like me it wears its age fairly well.
I remember seeing the first one when it debuet at the Bridgehampton Race Course. It was wine-colored and I still have the pics somewhere. I still haven’t figured out how to post pics here.
Don’t really know if that’s original turquoise paint really faded to light green or a repaint thats not wearing too well. Inside the hood and doors looks turquoise. The car looks to be solid, but as with any 59 year old car, things need to be taken care of to keep it safely on the road. I have a ’76 Avanti II that’s had a good amount of money spent making it a reliable car to travel with. Unless there is a Studebaker or Avanti meet somewhere, you never see these ageless design cars on the road. Hopefully it goes to a good caretaker.
This is a respray. If you look at the picture of the driver’s side front, there is substantial overspray in the wheel well, in addition to the noted turquoise edges and internal areas. Nice car though, just as it is.
Repaint……this ones been dressed to sell……..
I think the Avanti was a stunner (particularly for its time period) with its sleek lines and uncluttered dash layout. It’s also a good-looking survivor considering it has nearly six decades under its belt. Too bad it doesn’t have a stick.
I always thought it was mandatory to have power steering, if the car in question has air conditioning?
The Avanti R1 was normally aspirated, stock 289. R2 balanced and blueprints supercharged engine. R3 was special built like the R2, but can without the supercharger, and had AC.