Vehicle Description
Avanti in Italian means "forward." And boy, did this one go forward
- both in design and performance. When Studebaker president
Sherwood Egbert called in Raymond Loewy to design a new generation
of Studebaker passenger cars, Loewy promised and delivered with a
unique sporting coupe of revolutionary design. At the time of its
launch, it was the fastest production car in the world, breaking 29
records at Bonneville! Unfortunately, it was a brief shining moment
for the memorable 1963-1964 Studebaker Avanti R2 before production
and supplier problems shuttered operations. It was a car ahead of
its time and why collectors seek it out today.
This particular Avanti R2 is an excellent example of what the
factory was capable of and received a high-quality restoration at
some point. Showing to be a late-production, numbers-matching car
shipped from the factory in October of 1963, it is titled as a 1964
and wears the square headlight bezels defining that year. The P6432
Turquoise paint on the fiberglass body is from the original color
pallet but is new since the restoration. The chrome bumpers and
stainless trim are in great shape, as is the factory glass. A third
brake light has been added for extra safety, as has LED
taillights.
Under the reverse-hinged hood hides the secret to its speed records
- a supercharged, numbers-matching 289ci V8 (bored to 305ci during
the rebuild). One can't miss the beautiful orange belt-driven
Paxton R2 model supercharger snaking its way across the top of the
engine shoving air into the chrome carburetor hat. This combination
was said to produce 290hp in its day, giving it excellent
acceleration while still allowing low rpm cruising. The chassis
features an independent front suspension with a leaf-spring rear
suspension, which works well in combination with the Dana 44
differential (3.73:1 ratio). Paired with a TCI-built GM 200R4
four-speed-overdrive automatic and a custom aluminum driveshaft, it
shifts smoothly and effortlessly. Getting the car slowed is a set
of power disc brakes on all four corners. One can also note the
factory dual exhaust pipes exiting the tail. You won't have any
problem driving this car; it gets 18.1mpg on 87-octane fuel!
The interior is dripping with midcentury modern styling, featuring
four slim-section vinyl bucket seats with an aircraft-style
wraparound wood-veneered control panel. The Avanti Dash features a
padded tuck-and-roll stitched vinyl with a neat little feature of a
vanity mirror in the glove compartment for your passenger. To not
molest the original dash, the previous owner added a Pioneer CD
stereo on the passenger side, which can be removed easily for
purists. The chrome and stainless center console shows a little age
near the Avanti name but still shows well. It has a small but
groovy gearshift lever, with air control levers that match the same
ball-on-stem theme. The contrasting black carpet really makes the
turquoise vinyl pop while drawing your attention to the wood
steering wheel and gauge cluster. It is '60s styling at it's best
with attention to detail on handles, latches, and levers.
If you are looking for a rare car that stands out in a crowd and
stops people in their tracks, this is the car for you. It is a fun
driving machine that will set you apart from most everything on the
road. Give Art & Speed a call today for more details on this
fantastic '64 Studebaker Avanti R2!