Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely exceptional
example of this fully restored, in fact overly restored to say the
least, body off restoration original southern California 1963
Studebaker Avanti 2 Door Coupe with its original 289 V8 engine and
automatic floor shift transmission and factory options
including:Power steering,Power brakesAM Pushbutton radio,Electric
clock,Heater and defroster,White sidewalls,Electric washers,Twin
traction,Tinted glassand original all matching #'s 289 V8
engine!Original engine reconditioned to newBody off professional
restorationNew show quality 'Ivory; paintNew Tan leather interior
front bucket and rear seatsTan leather door & side
panelsNew Black Salt & Pepper CarpetingNew Black trunk
carpetAll new hosing, wiring, batteryRefurbished carburetorAll new
rubber weather stripping for both interior & exteriorAll
new chromeShowroom undercarriageNew dual stainless steel
exhaustsNew stainlesssteel components including front brake
calipers and rear wheel cylindersAll fasteners and hardware
completely refurbished and chrome platedNew shock absorbersTotal
front end rebuild including bushings, seals etcNew front end disc
pads and rear brake shoesChrome hood strutChrome header tankChrome
valve coversChrome breathersChrome power steering reservoirChrome
alternatorChrome distributing housingChrome coilChrome wiper
mechanismChrome hood latchesBlack gloss powdercoated front sub
frameBlack gloss powdercoated frameBlack gloss powdercoated front
suspension & roll barCustom rewiredSeat beltsChrome
wheelsThe 1963-64 Studebaker Avanti was amongst the most daring of
1960's American cars, a modern masterpiece which still seems
contemporary today! Built with modern safety features such as a
built in roll bar, padded interior and door latches that became
structural body members when closed! A supercharged 289 V8 made the
car one of the fastest cars built in its day with a top speed of
over 168mph - a staggeringly fast speed for a production street
car! Some 29 Bonneville speed records were set by a supercharged
Avanti. This was also the first major fiberglass body four
passenger car and also the first such car to use caliper style disc
brakes and anti-sway bars front and rear. With only 3,834 models
built in 1963 and even less, 809 in 1964, this car was to prove an
instant collectible and has since reached certified 'Milestone
Status'. Distinctive features abound such as a grille-less front
end, asymmetrically placed hood bulge, shaped windows with large
glass areas, a short rounded tail end, aircraft-like cockpit
instrumentation and controls, slim section bucket seats and a
padded roll bar.To Studebaker's delight and not surprisingly, the
public loved the car as it was both upscale and well equipped,
although it sported a base price of $4,445 compared to the Corvette
Sting Ray's $4,252. In the end, the main problem for the original
Avanti, was the fact that the public knew that its parent company,
Studebaker, was fast going out of business and therefore were
reluctant to purchase their cars. Upon seeing it close its South
Bend plant on December 20th 1963 and with the last 1964 Avanti
having barely come off the production line, its fate was sealed.
Studebaker moved production of its other models to Canada in 1965
and only Chevy engines were offered in 1965-66. The renown
'Studebaker Motor Company' which had been incorporated in 1968 and
founded in 1852 as a wagon producer, sadly folded in March 1966.In
later years, being too good to let die, the Avanti model continued
with Chevy Corvette V8's after two South Bend Studebaker dealers,
Nate Altman and Leo Norman bought all the rights to the model,
formed the 'Avanti Motor Company' and continued to hand-build the
cars in an old Studebaker plant with the cars being known as
'Avanti II's. After Altman's death in the mid 1970's the Altman
estate sold the operation to another entrepreneur in 1982, who
continued the passion of building the car and so it was for years
to come, until finally the recession of 1991 doomed the car to
history.This particular overly restored example presents most
likely one of the finest examples available anywhere of a 1963
Studebaker Avanti, restored to concours standards.
