Demonstrating that the new Studebaker Avanti was “The World’s Fastest Production Car,” as the advertising claimed, Andy Granatelli set a whopping 29 American National Stock Car records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1962. At one point, the Avanti reached a blazing 178.5 MPH, and a year later, Granatelli used an experimental Avanti with dual superchargers to find a mind-blowing 196 MPH. The proof was in the pudding, and everyone who was paying attention was well aware of the new Studebaker’s penchant for speed. Most who saw one was aware of Studebaker’s new interest in ground-breaking styling and modern engineering. Sherwood Egbert, the recently appointed president of Studebaker, felt a fresh, uniquely styled, high-performance luxury coupe was needed to appeal to the emerging market of young executives earning higher net-worth wages. The personal car was aimed squarely at Ford’s Thunderbird and Chrysler’s 300, but it loosely set sights on various European products as well. Legend has it that Egbert sketched the basic shape of Avanti on the back of an envelope while on a flight. Raymond Loewy took a team of designers and stylists to his home in Palm Springs, California, to get away from the norm and encourage the team to think without a box. The timeline was tight, but the team worked diligently and had a clay model in just eight days; in just 14 months, the first prototype was shown at the New York Auto Show. After that, Studebaker sent the car on a heavily publicized, 16-day, 24-city promotional tour, and it worked well, with a number of well-heeled buyers placing deposits to buy one. Production troubles ensued with the exotic fiberglass body and orders were tough to fill, leading to cancelations, and in December 1963, Studebaker announced it was ending production of the car. During the 18-month production run, just 4,643 were built, including this 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2. This black example is equipped with the optional Paxton-supercharged 289 CI V-8 engine and a 4-speed manual transmission, marking it as one of the rarer Avantis built. It rolls on white-line tires with polished five-spoke wheel covers, and the vermillion interior features a pushbutton AM radio, vinyl bucket seats, a center console, pleated door panels and carpeting. A white dashboard and upper trim softens the look.
