bronto

There aren't very many cars between, say, '59 & '61 that most of us wouldn't consider ugly. But that was the fashion of the times and provided the transitional designs between the 50's & the 60's. Most of them grow on you, in a way. My mom had a '62 Skylark convertible that was so ugly it was cute. It had a high compression 215 ci aluminum block V-8 that Buick developed, never sold in volume and eventually sold to British Leyland. It was sweet with a 4 speed. My dad and my brother & I shopped for Avantis for quite a while when I was in high school (for my dad). They were leading edge cars, and the looks definitely grow on you.

SharkSkin

I've never seen an example in-person that had such pitiful tires -- but even looking past that it's not what we sharkaholics would consider beautiful, necessarily.

My recollection is that these cars went 170mph at Bonneville in the early 60's (probably not on those VW tires ) which, if I am recollectin' correctly, may very well be the record that was broken by Al Holbert in 1986.

Maybe Doc can amplify/correct this info, as he seems to know a lot about the Avanti.

As a lifelong gearhead, it sticks in my mind as one of the fastest production cars of its time -- whatever I may think of the way they shaped the fiberglass.

Ed MD

During the summer and fall of 1962, racing legend Andy Granatelli took an R-3 Avanti to the Bonneville Salt Flats, where he piloted it to a record speed of 170.78 mph. By the time he was done, Granatelli had set or broken 34 U.S. land speed records in the Avanti, allowing Studebaker to proudly proclaim it the "World's Fastest Production Car."
My Dad had a early Studebaker powered Avanti...the Studebaker models had a time with overheating because of the front end design, the later Chevy models didn't have such problems. Using electric fans can greatly solve this issue. I helped a friend put a crate LT-1 engine in a late model Avanti II.
Avanti II were given a 327 in³ (5.4 L) Chevrolet Corvette engine. A second generation of Avanti automobile was styled by Tom Kellogg, one of the original Avanti design team members working for industrial designer Raymond Loewy, in the late 1980s. This car was based on GM's "F" platform Camaro/Firebird and carried the same styling themes as the Avanti marketed today, and produced in a facility in Cancun Mexico, where Avanti's are still being hand-built.

Always have a special place for these cars. Ed M

JPTL

Wasn't Loewy credited for redesigning the Coke bottle as well as coming up with the Exxon name & logo to replace Esso?

docmirror

This is where the 'made in' gets sticky. We're both right and/or both wrong. At the time, GM was having good success with the small bodied Chevys, Nova and Chevelle. They wanted to sell engines to Newman/Altman, but I think the unions had some sway, and coaxed GM in to making the deliveries to Canada only(Newman/Altman was very non-union). The frames were stamped in South Bend, the bodies came from somewhere in the upper mid-west, then the earliest cars were all assembled in Canada when the engines and trans arrived. Somewhere around Windsor, but I'm not sure exactly.

Newman, wanting to continue the Avanti tradition always said the cars were 'US made', but final assembly was in Canada until Blake took over. There were several stoppages by Newman due to haggling with GM about engines. After a few years the chassis were assembled in SB, but then went to Canada for the drivetrain. It was a weird setup.

Once Blake got control, I was incorrect, I said MN, it was indeed Ohio. So, although they were all US components, much of the assembly was in Canada, due in part to the continuing problem with non-union labor.

There are many who think the Avanti is a very ugly or ungainly car. Loewy took some lumps for going out on a limb with the styling. Those of you under about 50, won't remember the lumbering Buicks, Ramblers, Pontiacs, and Mercs of the eary 60s. It's interesting to note that the Avanti preceeded the Mustang by more than two years! The cars are similar in wheelbase, seating, driveline, track, and market position.

Had the car been offered by Ford, or even Dodge I submit it would have been a huge success. Studebaker stumbled badly in marketing because they were grampa's cars(they just bought Packard for cripes sake). The ads always showed an elegant couple, in their mid's 30s going to a dinner, or a party. It should have been a lanky 20-something with a cigarette and a leather jacket grinding through the gears on a hot August night(think American Graffiti).

Kevin in Atlanta

Back in '62 our neighbor, an Air Force pilot, gave me a ride in his Avanti. My only memory was me sinking into the rear seat as he accelerated. I suppose that's why I like my GTS.

Jim bailey - 928 International

In some ways much like a 914-6 very few cars were actually sold but the legend and lore far exceeded the realty... one Avanti did almost hit 200 mph on the salt flats which had to have been a wild ride ! Yea I could own one ! if I had more storage space. In the 1960s there were no WIDE tires first 911 had 4 1/2 in x 15 wheels ! Late 1960s 911 had optional 6 inch wheels ! The Studebaker chassis some say was first designed in 1953 which made it just slightly improved over the horse and buggy suspension ...it is all about the looks you either love it or hate it just like MOST cult cars.