Vehicle Description
It was no secret that in the early 1960s, Studebaker was up against
the ropes. Their financial troubles had started years earlier and
the failed merger with Packard had left them reeling. Selling
economy cars was fine, but what they really needed was a stylish
"halo" model to drive traffic into the showrooms. New company
president Sherwood Egbert had the idea for a sporty "personal car"
to compete against the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford
Thunderbird, a car that could boost their rather staid and
conservative product line. He doodled out his idea for a four-seat
personal car while on a flight from South Bend to California. Upon
meeting with his design team, led by Raymond Loewy, he charged them
with the task of creating an image-booster for Studebaker and gave
them a virtually impossible time line with which to do it in. After
just 8 days of feverish work, Loewy and his team of designers (Tom
Kellogg, John Ebstein and Bob Andrews) produced a two-sided clay
model, one side featuring a four-seat design, the other a two
seater. Company brass settled on the four-seater and the styling
team went back to further hone their work. To power their new
creation, named Avanti, engineers used the 289 cubic inch V8 and
reinforced chassis from the Lark Daytona convertible. While not
ground breaking, it was an affordable and reliable platform for
Studebaker to work with. But the underpinnings played 2nd fiddle to
what sat atop - the body by Loewy and his team was jaw dropping.
Fiberglass construction allowed them to accurately reproduce the
coke-bottle curves and fine detail as penned by the artists. The
smooth, grille-less design was groundbreaking, the first to use a
"bottom feeder" radiator and intake. It was clean, yet finely
detailed and sophisticated. Egbert had ambitiously predicted Avanti
sales of 10,000 units in the first year, but thanks to production
issues and concerns from buyers about Studebaker's health as a
company, a fractional 1,200 were sold for the 1962 model year, with
fewer than 4,600 units sold the following year. Studebaker ceased
operations by 1963, yet in spite of the drama surrounding its
gestation and ultimate demise, the Avanti remains a truly iconic
automobile and a brilliant piece of American industrial design
history. This exquisite 1963 Studebaker Avanti R1 comes to us from
the hands of a noted Studebaker collector and enthusiast. He has
owned several different Avantis over the years, and of all the cars
he's owned, this is most certainly the finest. It was
comprehensively and expertly restored to the exact build-sheet
specifications and presents in beautiful, fresh condition. An early
production car, this Avanti (S/N R1259) was built on July 11th 1962
and delivered new to a dentist in Boise Idaho. After enjoying his
Avanti for a few years, the car was sold to a Mr. Hutchison in
Littleton, Colorado in 1967. Mr. Hutchison drove the car through
1977 at which time he replaced it with a new car, but kept the
Avanti in storage until his passing in 2013. From there, the car
found its way to its current owner, who upon assessing it as an
original R1 specification car with an automatic transmission and
factory air conditioning, determined it was very much worth
restoring. He soon embarked on a comprehensive restoration that saw
the car fully stripped down and restored to exacting
specifications. It still appears very fresh, with exceptional PPG
Avanti White paint. Particularly difficult with a fiberglass car,
the body exhibits crisp feature lines, outstanding panel fit and
beautiful, deep reflections in the surfaces. The razor's edge
bumpers are similarly presented, with concours quality plating and
correct rubber protectors. NOS and original trim was painstakingly
polished and fitted to ensure precise fit. It rides on original
wheels with those fabulous signature Avanti convex wheel covers and
correct tires. Like the body, the interior has been restored to
exacting standards using some of the last remaining original bolts
of fabric made by Uniroyal specifically for Studebaker. Likewise,
the Hidem welting was sourced directly from the old Mishawaka,
Indiana plant. As per the original build sheets, it is trimmed in
Avanti Red and Fawn with correct door panels and "salt and pepper"
carpets in correct material. The dash is finished in off white with
fully restored instruments that appear factory fresh. Original A/C
controls and console shifter are excellent and as they left the
factory. The impeccable detailing continues under the hood with a
beautifully presented 289 cubic inch V8 in normally aspirated R1
specification. Correct finishes and paints adorn the engine and
accessories for a factory-fresh appearance. Incredibly, some of the
original A/C hoses were found to be in excellent condition and
still had factory markings. During the restoration, special
attention was given to the cooling to ensure this Avanti runs cool
and strong. The chassis was stripped, prepped and painted, while
every removable frame component was stripped and powder coated. It
is quite simply one of the finest, most meticulously restored
Avantis we have encountered. It is so accurate in fact, that photos
of this car are included in the latest update to the AOA
Authenticity Manual. From the beautiful and crisp body to the
expertly researched and detailed drivetrain, this is a show-worthy
example that has been lavished upon by a dedicated enthusiast. For
anyone seeking an example of the Raymond Loewy design icon to show
and enjoy, this is certainly one of the best Avanti R1s available
today.