Vehicle Description
Here is your chance to own a hand built American car and join a
group of enthusiasts who enjoy the history, performance, and
exclusivity of this marque. With roots that go back to its origins
at Studebaker, and then through a series of patrons who kept the
legend alive and in production, this rare 1987 convertible with
less than 30,000 miles is a shining example of these wonderful
cars.
Hand built and American made are not terms you hear used together
very often. But they are here. The factory literature that comes
with this car describes it as "Art in motion" and "Elegance
personified". It has timeless styling that looks as good today as
it did when it was introduced. The factory correct Red paint really
highlights the graceful lines of the body as they flow smoothly
down the sides. The front of the car presents that unique Avanti
look that was groundbreaking when introduced and still attracts
attention today. A body colored wrap around bumper was an update to
the old chrome ones and blends with the front fenders that extend
beyond the hood as they dive down to meet it. The rear fenders flow
together smoothly with simple taillights and chrome exhaust tips
peek out from underneath. The tan convertible roof looks great up
or down and has a nice boot to dress it out while you are open air
motoring.
Open the door and you will find an all original interior that is
hand crafted in sumptuous leather and beautiful burled wood. The
seats are both comfortable and supportive for cruising down the
highway or exploring the back roads when the drive there is more
important than the destination. A leather wrapped steering wheel is
mounted on a three spoke hub that has been autographed by Michael
Kelly who was the patron at the helm of Avanti when this car was
built. It sits in front of a dash of real Burled Elm with a full
compliment of gauges including a tachometer and monitors for all
the critical engine functions mounted in it. There is a Kenwood
stereo that is FM/CD and iPod compatible for your listening
pleasure and the ventilation controls just below it includes air
conditioning for those hot summer days. The switch for the power
operated roof is just below those and a T-handle shifter for the
automatic transmission rises from a wood and leather trimmed
console.
Open the hood and you will find the original, numbers matching,
5.0-liter V8 motor nestled down in a neat and clean engine bay with
an Avanti logo gracing the black air filter housing in nice red
lettering. The engine and drivetrain on this car are tried and true
Chevrolet so you can feel confident and comfortable in its
reliability and performance while you sport around in this limited
production special. Contributing to that reliability are refreshed
parts that include new belts and hoses as well as plugs, cap and
wires and a new battery. Power flows back through a 4-speed
automatic transmission to the rear wheels through a solid axle
working through a 4-link rear suspension with coil springs. Up
front a double wishbone suspension with coil springs and a sway bar
provide great handling with big disc brakes providing some serious
stopping power for this light little car. The rubber meets the road
through 205/75R15 white wall tires mounted on chrome wire wheels
with Avanti center caps.
This is a low mileage, convertible model of a limited production,
hand built American car. It is in fantastic condition with lots of
factory documentation, and it could be yours. What are you waiting
for? Call or come on down and check out this unique American
classic.
The VIN for these rare convertibles were actually only 16 digits
long. Where the coupe Avanti's had a digit in the VIN to indicate a
coupe, they simply left the digit out of the rare convertible
VIN's. The VIN for this particular car is12AAV222H1000027.