I haven’t found a genuine Avanti yet, but I will. And when I do, a proper CC will ensue. But in the meantime, oldcarbrochures.com has recently added a 1963 Avanti brochure to their ever-growing collection. And a stunning one it is, both the brochure and the car.
The presentation of the Avanti was one of the most unexpected events of 1962. In America, anyway. That’s because this car, like the 1953 Studebaker coupes, were the work of Raymond Loewy, who always kept one foot in Europe. And it showed; who else would work so hard to eliminate the bold front grille, foreshadowing the aero-look cars from the eighties. And like its ’53 coupe predecessor, the fiberglass-bodied Avanti also suffered from a botched production ramp-up.
I just can’t resist showing the ’53 coupe here too, because these cars are so essentially Loewy (regardless of who did most of the actual design work). The share the windsplitting front ends with that center crease rising from their delicate front bumpers, the looong front hood, a beltline that drops down from the windshield, and of course that forward-slanting C-pillar.
Is the setting of the Palm-Spring-ish house in the top photograph on purpose, to echo the fact that the Avanti was designed in forty days in a rented house in Palm Springs by Loewy’s team? Although it was team effort, Loewy contributed many of the Avanti’s distinctive features, including the Coke-bottle shape, the grille-less front end and bladed fenders. Here’s an excellent article on those eventful forty days.
The Avanti was a true Studebaker, inasmuch as its design and execution both suffered certain shortcomings. The Avanti looks fabulous from certain angles, and a bit awkward from others. But a noble effort it was, to try to redefine Studebaker’s ailing image in the mid sixties.
The original Avanti’s profile had a decidedly NASCAR-ish rake to it. Odd then that when the Avanti was revived as the Avanati II, the first change made was to jack up the front end, as well as ruin the beautiful faired-in round headlights.
Why that would be called “improvement in the lines and streamlining of the new Avanti” is beyond me. The original Avanti’s stance was defined as “an aerodynamic wedge, designed to to defy the wind”.
The Avanti II started out on the wrong foot in my book by just those two changes alone. Whatever…The Avanti II could have been America’s Bristol coupe, made in almost perpetuity, but unfortunately, its owner’s lacked the aesthetic sensibility from the get-go, and started chasing every new design influence and trying desperately to graft it onto the Avanti, when it should have stayed the icon of early-sixities design that it was. Of course, Bristol made some similar mistakes too.
This is as close as America got to a true European-style GT coupe, despite the lack of a single “Euro-sport” badge on the Avanti anywhere. The Avanti came from a time when that wasn’t necessary, or even desirable. Loewy’s sensibilities may have had a decidedly European aspect, but the Avanti was ultimately an all-American “experiment”, and thoroughly confident in its sensibilities and execution. That would soon change, as the rise of Mercedes led to the great American automotive insecurity.
There was a ’63 Avanti on a used car lot on Burbank, CA many years ago. I spent a few days looking it over, driving it, getting a mechanic’s recommendation on it.
I had the money they were asking for, about $7K. Wouldn’t have hurt me one bit at the time. Always loved the Avanti. Finally after wrestling with my mind and heart for several days, I decided not to buy it.
The mechanic’s recommendation was not good. The fiberglass body showed some wear. And most telling of all, the driver’s position was extremely uncomfortable for my 6′ 7″ frame. The steering wheel was HUGE – and rubbed against my legs when I made a turn.
My idea of owning a CC is not a trailer queen. I’d like to drive it and enjoy it. I would not have enjoyed the Avanti, despite my love for them.
I’m not surprised. The Avanti sat on the the rather tall Lark frame, which required a compromised seating position to get the lower roof line. But then all the Studebaker coupes suffered to some degree from that problem.
What no mention of the 4-door abomination in later Avanti II production? There is one of those running around in my neck of the woods, by far the worst thing done to the Avanti name. The mess they made of the front end pales in comparison.
I could be wrong, but I thought I read that the change to square headlight surrounds was done to the original Avanti shortly before production ceased. I don’t know why; it’s certainly not an improvement to the looks.
I like the look of the original Avanti, aside from the heavy triangular C-pillar and back window.
the 64 stude version had the square heaslights. We had a used a used 63 r2 in red when I was a kid.
Not all 64s had the square lights. My neighbor bought a new 64 that still had round ones. I believe it was a running change early in 1964 model year production.
My best childhood friend down the street was born into a Studebaker family. His mom drove a 60 Lark VIII and his dad had a metallic red 64 Avanti. His had the R2 engine – the 289 with the Paxton supercharger, and a 4 speed. On the Avanti, you had to choose between air conditioning and the Supercharger. Bill chose the supercharger.
That Avanti was the coolest car I had ever seen up to that point in my young life. As to the headlights, the switch to square units was done, in theory, late in the 63 model run. All 64s are supposed to have square ones, but my neighbor’s were round from the start.
The car had so many exotic features. First, it was fiberglass, so it did not suffer from the rusty front fenders that all other Studes got in northern Indiana after about 5 years. It had a roll bar built in. Red instrument lights at night, and the light switches were on the ceiling between the visors, just like an airplane. The woodgrain plastic steering wheel was still pretty exotic by 1964 as well. The speedo went to 180, so all of us kids knew that it was faster than another family’s GTO, because that speedo only went to 160. Little did we know that Andy Granatelli had actually driven an Avanti with the R3 engine (305 cid with higher compression and a supercharger) over 170 to set one of several speed records set by the Avanti that year.
That car had such an impact on me, I had no idea that it was an utter flop sales-wise. Studebaker sold fewer than 4000 63s and a bit over 800 64s. It is one of those cars that was influential far beyond its sales numbers.
We could always hear the car when my neighbor went to work in the morning. He started driving slowly and gingerly, to let the car warm up properly. The sound of the glasspack mufflers and the whine of the supercharger were unmistakable. He usually shifted to second right around our house.
Little known fact – the wheel covers used on the Avanti were actually the same units from the 53s, only with an extra stamping for the pattern and some paintwork.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/06/look-at-what-i-found-avanti-ii/
Ours was up three hours earlier. Coincidence? 🙂
Trying again. Worpress ate my response.
Paul, I wrote the piece at TTAC.
It was a complete coincidence, both in timing and subject matter. I had no idea you were writing about Studes this week nor covering the Avanti today. Bertel Schmitt had send out an email saying that Ed and he were busy and the site needed some fresh content. I’d already posted a photo gallery and a short article about seeing the Avanti II at a funeral on May 28th at
Cars In Depth here.
http://www.carsindepth.com/?p=2218
If the photo attachment works, you can see a 3D anaglyph from that post at the bottom of this reply.
I did a little bit more research, found a cool photo of Nate Altman with Raymond Loewy by an Avanti II, and posted something to TTAC. The first that I knew you’d been profiling Studebakers in general or the Avanti today was when Robert Schwartz mentioned it in the thread at TTAC.
I like what you’re doing with Curbside Classic, use it for research and link to CC from Cars In Depth. I don’t, though, read CC that frequently, so I had no idea that you were working with Studes this week. Your first Studebaker post was on May 31, three days after my Avanti II post at Cars In Depth. You didn’t even decide to make it Studebaker Week until June 1st.
No copying, no imitation. Perhaps more of a case of great minds thinking alike.
Just kiddin’ Ronnie.I know you would never imitate anything of mine 🙂
Not imitate, but use as a launching point of going off on a tangent? For sure. Speaking of which. If you want to use them, I have some pics of the Chrysler Turbine car and drivetrains at the Walter P. Chrysler museum.
A buddy of mine who happens to own 14-15 Mustang Shelbys from back in the day had always wanted an Avanti. A few years ago he found one bought it and was driving back to his place in Door County, Wisconsin when the need of a hook showed itself. This is the Christmas card I received from him that year. His later purchase of a roll off truck was unrelated to his Avanti, so he says.
Here’s the Studebaker Sceptre concept that Marty Densch covered in a post on CID. I’m hoping to get to the Studebaker Museum and get pictures of the Packard Predictor.
http://www.carsindepth.com/?p=1890
The Studebaker Cruiser concept with interchangeable panels side to side and front to back:
http://www.carsindepth.com/?p=1629
Thanks for the article on the Avanti. It really had an impact on me when I first saw it and I always considered it the most attractive American car ever built; it still looks quite current considering it was designed around 1961. Just about every other vehicle from that era now looks dated and quaint. About the only other vehicle that came close to the Avanti-in my humble opinion was the “63 Buick Riviera. One question: I have read from various sources that suggest that Tom Kellog-one of the designers working under
Lowey was responsible for most of the design work on the Avanti rather than Lowey.
Anyone have any information on this?
According to Richard Langworth’s postwar history of Studebaker, Loewy was approached by Studebaker President Sherwood Egbert about a new sports car. Loewy negotiated an extraordinarily free hand in design, then chose from among his staff Tom Kellogg, Bob Andrews and John Epstein.
Epstein was one of Loewy’s vice presidents and was the project coordinator. Andrews was a designer who had worked under Frank Spring at Hudson during design of the stepdown model, and Kellogg was described as a very talented sketch artist who was known for his ability to get ideas onto paper. Loewy rented a house in the desert outside of Palm Springs to serve as the studio and sent the 3 men there to work. Loewy insisted on absolute secrecy, going so far as to disconnect the telephone and remove all the clocks. No trips to town or even communication with wives or girlfriends was allowed.
Loewy did most of the original sketches and laid out the concept, while his team tackled the details and brought the concepts to life. After about a week of 16 hour workdays, a 1/8 scale clay model was flown to South Bend to be shown to Egbert and to engineering. After those meetings, a revised model was ready about a week later. This revised model was pretty much the finished product.
This car was probably like most Loewy designs, where Loewy was the front man who laid out the concept and vision while his talented designers brought the concept to reality. What is amazing is that the original sketches were dated March, 1961 and the second clay was approved April 8th of that same year.
I’ve always thought the Avanti was beautiful and being born in 1977, this was the car that made me aware of Studebaker as a youth. My father loved to attend car shows and the Avanti captured my mind (especially in supercharged form) for having the same displacement as my father’s 1967 Mustang with the 289 V8.
The Avanti was also my first introduction to Studebakers. I have enjoyed the Studebaker week. Anecdote: I live in central Vermont and was out for brunch this morning celebrating my wife’s b-day. The restaurant had an axle and wheels from some very old horse drawn wagon outside in a flower bed and I walked over to it to check in out. Sure enough, formed into the wheel castings was “Studebaker Corp South Bend, Ind”.
I grew up near Youngstown, Ohio, and was living in the area when Paul Kelly decided to bring the operation to an old steel facility on Albert Street in the 80’s. Albert Street was about as bombed out an area as you would find in any war ravaged town, but that’s usually how these deals shake out. They end up in the worst places, it seems to me. I had a feeling from the start that this would be one of those deals where the company pulls up stakes after the tax abatements expire. And they did.
My brother’s former boss left his job as an Ad Director for a local grocery store chain to do the same thing for the New Avanti company. Unfortunately for me, knowing the guy didn’t really get me any kind “ins”, but I did know people who were on staff at the Butler Museum of Art, where many of the publication ads were photographed. The introductory ad for the four door was shot there, I think the convert was, too. But, I had already been working in the advertising industry by then and photo shoots were a pretty commonplace event for me. By then the cat was out of the bag about the 4 door, too.
I left the area in 1991 and I think Avanti went to greener pastures sometime after too. Youngstown’s legacy of automotive production was in the past again, witht the exception of the mammoth GM Lordstown facility to the west of the city. That one continues on.
Would I like an Avanti? You bet! I’d prefer a late 80’s coupe with fuel injection. Or I can swap in my own LSx motor… 🙂
I”m very surprised that I’m the only past owner 7of the Studebaker Avanti to reply so far. Granted that there are spo few of us as compared to the Avanti II’S.
I’m going to be brutally honest. While to this day, I’m convinced the STUDEBAKER Avanti (here after to be called “S.A.”) is the sexiest car ever produced, I’ll tell you without hestation, it was the worst piece of junk, mechanically, EVER! The only saving grace was that the stone-age era 289 engine was made less hatefull thanks to Andy Granittelli making the 289 seeem more exotic than it really was. The chassis, it was believed, was still using technology from Stude’s humble beginnings as a Conestoga wagon manufacturer. Much ado is made about the drop-dead gorgeous fiberglass body design but it is rarely known at how horrible the actual quality of the glsss was, let alone you could lie awake all night listening to the rust devour everything underneath. My car’s time split between being driveable and sitting at the repair snop was around a 20/80 rational respectively. Oh, all right, l’m exagerating. It was more like 25/75. To this day, when a picture of an S.A. grabs my eye, it still fills, my brain with lust again. Fortunately, my lustfull experience witn one keeps my feet firmly on the ground. It was in actuality the mistress from hell. The sex was unbeliveable but she was too high maintenance to want to marry.
I’ve always wanted me one of these. . . .
In late 1971 or early 72 I had a Avanti II built. I visited the plant, met Nate Altman his brother and Gene Hardig. The serial # was RQB1655. I later discovered that raising the front end was the easiest and least expensive way to clear the GM 350 engine. The GM 350 was taller than the Studebaker engine. Look under an Avanti II and you will see simple spacers between the frame and body to clear that GM engine.
I am the current owner of a 63 Avanti, and former owner of a 75 Avanti II. My experience is not as negative as the other Avanti owner to comment here was. I can honestly say my Avanti has given me less trouble the the 73 Plymouth Fury III and 77 Ford Thunderbird I drove in high school — a LOT less in the case of the Thunderbird (that thing had to be the sourest lemon that EVER rolled out of Detroit). The Avanti had a rather antiquated chassis, yes, and the 289 was heavy for its displacement, yes. These meant compromises in comfort and performance — the car had a front end weight bias, and to get the low roof line meant you sat on the floor. Studebaker president Sherwood Egbert wanted a new, higher displacement V8, and a new chassis with an independent rear suspension, but the struggling company simply couldn’t afford to engineer and produce them. So the Avanti was built with the parts Studebaker already had in production. But the car still handled well for its era, and the Studebaker V8, though limited in displacement, still produced very respectable horsepower with the optional supercharger, and it’s bulletproof in terms of reliability.
As others have noted, it’s not really fair to blame Altman and Avanti Motors for the square headlight bezels on the Avanti II — that change was done by Studebaker late in the Avanti’s production, so most 64 Studebaker Avantis have them. This was probably done because though the fifties and sixties, most automakers put noticeable yearly styling changes on their cars. Studebaker probably felt obliged to do the same. The raised front bodywork was supposedly a compromise dictated by the taller Chevy small block engine, but I read somewhere that Nate Altman preferred the more level stance it gave the car anyway. I’m with the author. I could park my two Avanti’s side by side and people would tell me that that 63 was so much better looking, even with they were looking at the cars from the side, and couldn’t see the round headlights, but couldn’t tell me why. It was just something, they said. It wasn’t until I pointed out the higher front end and the “fat” fenders on the Avanti II (there as a filler panel added to the front fender, to keep the wheel opening from being too high) that they understood why. The difference that the rake and the slimmer fenders make is subtle, but definitely make the original Studebaker look better.