Studebaker Avanti buyer's guide

Overview

The Avanti (1963–64, as a Studebaker) was Raymond Loewy's last masterpiece for the company: a fibreglass-bodied, coke-bottle-waisted personal GT on the Lark Daytona convertible's chassis, launched with a speed-record programme at Bonneville and offered with a ladder of Granatelli-developed engines — the R1 (naturally aspirated 289), the R2 (supercharged), the R3 (a bored, hand-built 304.5, nine cars) and the near-mythical R4/R5. Production was plagued by the fibreglass supplier's problems, and Studebaker's December 1963 closure ended the car after roughly 4,600 built; the design lived on for decades as the Avanti II and its successors under independent ownership — a separate story from the Studebaker cars covered here. The R2 is the performance sweet spot; the R3 is the summit; every Avanti is a registry car.

Generations and year breaks

1963 — the launch

• The R1 and R2 engines, the four-speed or automatic options, and the famous specification details (the roll bar built into the roof, the disc brakes — a Dunlop system that made the Avanti one of the first American production cars with front discs).
• Early and late 1963 cars differ in details (the headlamp surrounds: round on early cars, square later; the ashtray and console changes) — the minutiae the registry culture delights in.

1964 — the final cars

• Production consolidated (the square headlamp bezels, detail simplifications) as Studebaker closed; the last cars carry the final South Bend serials.
• The R3 (nine built) and the experimental R4/R5 programmes belong here — their documentation is factory-level and famous.

Engines and options that matter

• R1 (289, high compression, four-barrel) — the standard Avanti engine; strong and supported.
• R2 (supercharged 289) — the Paxton-blown car: verify the blower, the engine number's R2 sequence and the car's production order.
• R3 (304.5) — the hand-built rarity: nine engines, all documented; any R3 claim is a factory-record matter.
• The Avanti's production order (the Avanti's build paperwork survived unusually completely — copies are held by the Studebaker National Museum) is the verification instrument: it lists the car's engine, colours and options as built.

What to check before buying

• The production order first: with the VIN, a copy of the factory production order settles the car's original engine, colours and equipment. Avantis are frequently re-engined (R1 cars wearing blowers, later Avanti II drivetrains) — paper before price.
• Fibreglass condition: the MFG-supplied bodies craze and crack at the stress points; the body sits on a steel Lark chassis whose rust (hog troughs — the structural boxes under the body — are the Avanti's famous rot point) decides the purchase. Inspect the troughs from beneath, without exception.
• Supercharger health (R2): the Paxton checks (noise, boost, drive) with a specialist.
• Numbers: the serial plate (on the frame/body) and the engine number (front-left pad) against the production order.
• Brakes and chassis: the Dunlop disc system and the Lark-based suspension are supported by the Avanti specialists; worn front ends are the common find.
• Parts: the Avanti world (a dedicated aftermarket keeps even body panels available) supports the cars well; R3/R4 components are museum matters.