Vehicle Description
It was no secret that in the early 1960s, Studebaker Corporation
was up against the ropes. Long-term financial troubles led to a
dubious merger with Packard, and the failure of that relationship
left the company reeling. The product line consisted of good
quality, economical cars that didn't offer much fresh excitement.
Studebaker needed a stylish "halo" model to drive traffic into the
showrooms and boost their image. Newly appointed company president
Sherwood Egbert devised a plan for a sporty, four-seat "personal
car" to compete against the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette and
Ford Thunderbird. He doodled out his ideas on a bar napkin while on
a flight from South Bend to California to meet with his design
team, led by Raymond Loewy. Egbert shared his plan at the meeting
and tasked the designer with creating an image booster for
Studebaker, giving him a virtually impossible timeline with which
to do it in. Loewy assembled a design team, and after just eight
days of feverish work by himself, Tom Kellogg, John Ebstein, and
Bob Andrews, the team produced a two-sided clay model, one side
featuring a four-seat design, the other side a two-seater. Company
brass settled on the four-seater, and the South Bend design team
refined the concept for production. To power the new car, now
namedAvanti, engineers used the 289 cubic-inch V8 and reinforced
chassis from the Lark Daytona convertible. It was an affordable and
reliable platform for Studebaker to work with, and updates like
Bendix disc brakes added an air of sophistication. But the
underpinnings played 2nd fiddle to what sat atop - the body by
Lowey 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, initially
grille-less design was groundbreaking, the first American car with
a "bottom feeder" radiator and intake. It was a clean, finely
detailed, and sophisticated design. Egbert 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, just 1,200 found homes in the first year, and fewer than
4,600 sold the following year. Studebaker ceased US production by
late 1963, yet despite the drama surrounding its gestation and
ultimate demise, the Avanti is recognized today for its style and
sophistication, courtesy of one of America's most celebrated
industrial designers. Per the factory production records, the
gorgeous Avanti featured here was completed in March of 1963 and is
a genuine supercharged R2 model, equipped with twin-traction diff,
power steering, and heavy-duty springs. It is the subject of a
body-off, nut-and-bolt restoration performed by an Avanti
specialist, including new torque boxes (akahog troughs) and
beautifully refinished fiberglass bodywork. The excellent shell is
finished to a remarkably high standard in a striking livery of jet
black over orange and fawn upholstery. The Avanti's driver-focused,
aircraft-inspired interior stands apart from its contemporaries,
demonstrating the remarkable attention to detail Loewy and his team
paid to every aspect of the design. With its orange seats and door
panels, the interior provides a striking contrast to the black
paint. The fawn color of the dash continues onto the upper door
panels, breaking up the bold orange color for a lighter, airier
feel to the cockpit. Black nylon carpets with molded "S" rubber
floor mats and seat belts are correct for the period. The
instrumentation, switchgear, and pushbutton transistor radio are to
the original specification. Of course, all that style is nothing
without a healthy dose of American horsepower - and this Avanti R2
certainly delivers. The 289 cubic-inch Studebaker V8 was an
excellent engine in its own right, made even better with the
addition of the Paxton supercharger, elevating output to 280 hp.
This car left the factory with a 3-speed auto, though it was
updated during the restoration to a preferred four-speed manual
using all factory Studebaker parts. It's also noted that the engine
is a period-correct replacement, though the original
numbers-matching short block is available. Like the rest of the
car, mechanical detailing is outstanding, with authentic markings,
labels, and decals, including a proper Prestolite ALE 5003
alternator and external regulator. The mechanical detailing is so
good that the rolling chassis was displayed at an event before the
body was set back in place. With its striking color combination and
high-level restoration from a devoted marque enthusiast, this
Avanti is easily one of the finest we've ever offered, a superb
example of Studebaker's high-performance swansong. Offers welcome
and trades considered For additional details please view this
listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7012-1963-studebaker-avanti-r2-coupe/
