Category: Avanti

Find of the Day: Decades of preservation and fair-weather exercise have kept this 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 fit and ready to roll – Daniel Strohl @Hemmings

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A quick look through the photos in the listing for this 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 for sale on Hemmings.com had us believing it was a fully restored car, but as we learned from the description, it remains largely original with a few items updated or rebuilt here and there. That’s rather remarkable, but understandable, given how treasured Avantis – supercharged Avantis, particularly – have been since new. We imagine this was a fair-weather car – socked away in a dry place in the winters and regularly serviced every spring – and it appears ready to continue in that capacity for many years to come.From the seller’s description:

This 1963 Studebaker Avanti is very original to its date of manufacture. It is a supercharged R2 with 89,000 miles. Equipped with automatic trans, power steering, brakes, and windows. Seats and trim are as delivered, and carpet is updated in correct salt and pepper design. All instruments function but the clock is not connected. AM radio is functional. All lights work properly. Brakes serviced and duel master cylinder installed for upgraded safety. Supercharger recently overhauled by factory. All glass and rubber seals are in excellent condition. Torque boxes, (hog troughs) are in good condition. Tires are new and the correct size for 1963 introduction. Paint on a scale of 1 thru 10 is a strong 9.5 with zero cracks, nicks or blemishes. Finish has a high sheen/luster. Chrome is a 9.0. There is the typical Studebaker oil leak to report.
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I don’t care about the rest of this Studebaker Avanti, I’d buy it just for the interior – Daniel Strohl @Hemmingss

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I’ve always been enamored with Avanti interiors. That semi-wraparound dashboard with Stewart-Warner gauges galore had a perfect blend of sports car and hot rod that perfectly complemented Studebaker’s fiberglass-bodied performance car, a sort of analog—if not throwback—standby that remained with the Avanti long after others picked up the torch from Studebaker.

This 1963 Studebaker Avanti for sale on Hemmings.com, however, adds to that allure with plaid inserts all throughout the interior. Front seats, rear seats, and door cards, all in earth tones that remind one of the limited color options available in newspaper and magazine ads of that time. I’d have to ask my Studebaker and Avanti contacts if these are original, but even if they’re not, I don’t care. They remind me of the sleeping bag I had as a kid, and that’s all this car needs to speak to me. Does it have an engine? I guess so. Does it run and drive? Maybe. Does it have some sort of interesting history that warrants a call to the sellers to have them elaborate? I suppose. But these are all ancillary questions—I know everything I need to know about the car with just three interior photos.

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Hemmings Find of the Day – 1981 Avanti II

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The Studebaker Avanti was a real example of what might have been for Studebaker and at least the Avanti II carried on for a considerable time after the original Avanti (seen below) ceased production.

Some details here from Wikipedia

The Avanti II is an American performance sports coupe based on the Studebaker Avanti and marketed through a succession of five different ownership arrangements subsequent to Studebaker‘s discontinuation of the model. After the closure of Studebaker’s South Bend factory on December 20, 1963, cars carrying the Avanti nameplate were initially produced from left-over Studebaker components and later, by the Avanti Motor Company from General Motors and Ford chassis and engines. Very few cars were made before all production ceased in 2006.

This car is really in pristine condition. Beautiful British racing green with camel leather Recaro seats. Upholstery and carpeting is all excellent. It has only 52000 original miles on it. The frame and hog troughes are solid and rust-free. The car has power disc brakes (Turner), power steering, power windows, power sunroof, A/C and rear luggage rack. Everthing works except the A/C which needs a condenser. The Chevy 305 V8 has been completely “de-smogged” and runs really strong. The car has rebuilt kingpins, new brake master cylinder and rear wheel cylinders, new front shocks, new all stainless true dual exhaust and new tires. This car runs flawlessly and rides and handles like new. It needs absolutely nothing to enjoy driving and/or showing. I am reluctantly selling it due to lack of storage space.

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