As the 1960s dawned, Studebaker was teetering on bankruptcy when, in a last-ditch effort to revitalize its fortunes, company president Sherwood Egbert assembled a stellar team of designers led by the great Raymond Loewy to create a revolutionary grand touring car unlike anything before it from South Bend, Indiana. The car was the Avanti (“forward” in Italian), a stunning fiberglass-bodied 2+2 coupe distinguished by its “Coke-bottle” shape, blade-like front fender extensions flanking a grilleless front end, parabolic wheel openings and unique greenhouse design. It also presented advanced performance and safety features, including normally aspirated and supercharged versions of the company’s workhorse 289 CI V-8, front disc brakes, an integrated roll bar and padded interior surfaces. As fate would have it, the Avanti failed to save Studebaker, but it has enjoyed a loyal following in the decades since its demise, even to the extent of inspiring subsequent production efforts by faithful enthusiasts. As this multiple concours-winning 1963 Avanti coupe demonstrates, the fires still burn bright for Studebaker’s remarkable halo car. It was built on December 10, 1963 at the South Bend plant and delivered new to Carmichael, California, bearing Chassis No. 63R2552 and Body No. 63RQ1751. A Black Plate California car cared for by three long-term owners since new, it received a comprehensive body-on restoration in 2010, being refinished in its original Avanti Red. It maintains the original and exceptionally well preserved red and Fawn leather interior, which features an AM/FM radio and instruments reconditioned by Williamson. In addition to refinishing the chrome, the original gas tank was removed, boiled and sealed, the BorgWarner automatic transmission and 3.73:1 differential were rebuilt, the universal joints and wiring harness were replaced, and new brake and gas lines were formed out of top-quality Bundyweld tubing. The car is equipped with the 289 CI R1 engine, now 304 CI and upgraded to supercharged R-3 specifications by marque expert Jon Myers of Myers Studebaker in Duncan Falls, Ohio. Modifications include a Paxton dual-cog V-belt-drive supercharger feeding an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor inside an R-3 aluminum airbox, bolstering the transformation with Forged-True aluminum pistons, 9.6:1 compression, R-2 heads, a high-lift cam, dual-point ignition and a clutch-drive cooling fan. Signed on the console cover by the legendary Andy Granatelli of Paxton and STP fame, this truly remarkable first-year Avanti is a fixture on the show circuit and has reportedly won more concours awards than any other in existence, including class wins at the Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance, La Jolla Concours d’Elegance, San Marino Design In Motion Motor Classic, the SoCal Studebaker Club La Palma Show, Friends of Steve McQueen Car and Motorcycle Show and the Benedict Castle Concours. Arguably the best and certainly the most decorated in existence, this 1963 Avanti is the very definition of timeless American design.
