Vehicle Description
Here's one of the most beautiful and unique American cars around.
This 1964 Studebaker Avanti is part of a small batch of extremely
stylish coupes that cannot help but grab everyone's attention. And
this is an ultra-desirable R2 supercharged model that is long-term
owned and coming fresh from the restoration. Oh yes, this is a rare
opportunity at something special.
The Avanti was the boldest Studebaker to hit the streets. The
futuristic style was penned by the legendary Raymond Loewy. It was
one of his hallmark designs, and made out of fiberglass, which was
still revolutionary for its time. That means it was also one of
Studebaker's costliest cars. They didn't stay in production long,
and so there is always extra value in having a genuine Studebaker
Avanti. This example has spent nearly a half-century under the same
owner, and it has also just completed a multi-year restoration. The
work was done with an eye to make this an impressive driver but not
lose the original spirit of decades under the same owner. So the
unique shade of Avanti Gold has a nice gloss from a recent respray.
But there's a classic kind of style in the way the trim is clean
and complete but with the right touches of age. And the body has
the same look as early Corvette fiberglass where the lines are
attractive but a perfect restoration is considered over-restored.
And that kind of personality is appreciated on this car. It has all
the nice details like the complete badging, supercharged tag on the
front fenders, stock wheel covers, and desirable round headlight
bezels that signal this is a rarer early version of the already
rare 1964 model.
Just like the exterior, the interior is unique and attractive. The
upholstery was updated during the restoration to give you supple
leather that's quite inviting. And you'll love showing off all the
vintage details that make this Avanti unique and premium. The tuck
and roll appearance of the dash, aircraft-inspired toggle switches,
working dome light, dual-spoke sports steering wheel, wraparound
gauge panel, and overhead console are all part of a very vintage
and cool presentation. There are well-integrated upgrades, too,
like the retro-style AM/FM stereo and well-matched AutoMeter tach
(the stock unit also comes with the sale.)
Within the crisp engine bay lies a very special motor. The 289
cubic-inch V8 was what was available to all premium Avanti coupes.
But this one was fully rebuilt and got extra attention during the
restoration for two very good reasons. First, the long-term owner
believes this is the original motor. Second, they wanted to make
sure you can proudly show off the Paxton supercharger that makes
this rare and powerful. And you have proper control over this with
the numbers-matching 4-speed manual transmission. This special V8
loves to sing its throaty tune through the glasspack-style dual
exhaust. Take some time to look at it in the undercarriage photos.
There you'll see clean components from a good restoration, and
you'll also spot handy features like the rear sway bar. Add in
power steering, power brakes, and front discs, and this
signification classic is also a terrific cruiser.
The sale comes complete with build receipts and maintenance
records. This is the rare supercharged Avanti that's ready for a
discerning owner. Is that you?
