Condition:	Used	VIN (Vehicle Identification Number):	63R3769
Year:	1997	Engine:	289cu V8
Make:	Studebaker	Drive Type:	RWD
Model:	Avanti	Mileage:	94,700
Trim:	2 Door Hardtop	Vehicle Title:	Clear

Ian Fleming, creator of the James Bond novels, owned and loved one of these Studebaker Avantis, as did Frank Sinatra. Need we say more?

I am thrilled to offer this gorgeous Avanti White on Red work of art!

Background:

I am sure if you looking at these beautiful cars you already have quite a bit of background, but in case you are new to the car, let’s dive into a little background.  This iconic coupe was the brainchild of legendary Studebaker CEO Sherwood Egbert. It was an intriguing blend of two Studebaker classics on the inside, and a radical new body design. To achieve the stunning shape, Studebaker’s engineers sculpted it from fiberglass, then mounted it on a modified Studebaker Lark Daytona X-braced convertible chassis, topped off with a modified 289 V-8 Studebaker Hawk engine. The result? A beautiful piece of automotive history. From American classic collector’s perspective, the Avanti is choice: it was only made for two years by Studebaker, and the 1963 in particular saw only 3,834 come off the line.

You’ll immediately notice the Avanti has no grille. This coupe was one of the first bottom-breather constructions, in which the front-mounted engine cooled from air sucked up beneath the front of the vehicle. It was also the first American auto fitted with front caliper disc brakes, imported from Dunlop in Britain. Everything about this coupe was meant to scream “modern!”, from the aircraft-inspired dials to the name, which comes from the Italian for forward. And it was: a number of innovations in the Avanti are still used in cars today.

Let’s more about this specific car:
Pleated regal red vinyl interior in beautiful condition.
Elegantly contrasting creamy white body paint.
Factory-installed AC (optional upgrade and rare)
AM push-button radio (optional upgrade)
Factory-installed safety belts (optional upgrade)
Textured red and black carpet
Wood-patterned steering wheel
Power windows

The Condition and Service:

Let’s start on the engine and drivetrain:

-ENGINE
This engine comes to life immediately with a twist of the key.  I started her up cold this week and she was alive within the first rotation of the engine.  With even a crack of the throttle it, the Avanti feels torquey, smooth and powerful, and effortlessly pulls away! 1,800rpm seems to be all you need for all but the steepest of hills.  More then a leisurely drive?  Keep your foot in it and the real thrill of the engine comes to life!  The Avanti hustles away from traffic with ease!  Recent fine tune on the carbs and she is running wonderful.  She doesn’t smoke down the road, knock, bang or rattle.  A great motor.

Check out the underside pics and the engine bay pics!

-TRANSMISSION
The 3 speed transmission is in wonderful shape.  Tight, confident shifts, no slipping and goes into gear firmly.

-SUSPENSION
No bangs, no rough ride, no clunks! The shocks dampen wonderfully!  The car is tight in corners, and comfortable on the straights!

-BRAKES
Confident pedal, great pressure with a firm positive stop.  Front discs stop this car on a dime and the shoes and drums have good life.  Avantis were amongst the best braking cars of their day and this one feels none the different.

-STEERING
Steering feels good, no excessive play or vibrations.

Let’s continue to the exterior:

-PAINT and BODY
The paint is quite nice!  It is a 8 out of 10 easily.  Shiny, beautiful, Avanti White paint was recently polished, finished and waxed and looks wonderful.  Car was repainted in the reasonably recent past and shines very nicely. No signs of a fiberglass job, accidents, or rust behind the fiberglass.  The flaws are so minor they are essentially unnoticeable unless someone points them out.  Some very minor overspray in little insignificant areas, small chips or touch ups, and other such minor flaws.  I can only see some of these extremely minor flaws from certain angles and I can’t capture it in pictures well. This car’s exterior presents as a “Driver +”, to some perhaps a “Show -“.  Clean floors and no rust lurking around.

-WHEELS and TIRES
Great shape tires with plenty of tread left and beautiful shape wheel covers without any major flaws

-BUMPERS and BRIGHT WORK
The bumpers are in wonderful shape! No dents, cracks or issues!  Chrome is nice all around the car with only minor flaws at best.

-GLASS/WINDOWS
Not to let a pebble defeat this car, the windshield is great shape, with no chips or sandblasting.  The door and rear glass is wonderful shape!  Clear and clean!

Onto the cabin:

-SEATS
The red vinyl seats are in great shape!  Wonderfully original and super supportive!  No sitting on the floor and the snug bolsters are in great shape!  No splits, no worn spots on the seating surfaces!  Just wonderful soft vinyl! They are comfortable and the dual buckets look great!  Rear seats are in great shape as well!  There are some threads to the bead strip on the back of the drivers side seat which have come undone.  Very minor and unnoticeable unless you tip the seat forward.  Take a look at the pics – it is the only discernible flaw on the seats.

-DASHBOARD
ZERO cracks.  Beautiful shape!!

-DOOR PANELS
Very nice what appear to be original panels with only minor flaws. Great armrest/door pulls

-CARPET
Very nice carpet in the car!  Some light wear and tear, but nothing significant.  Some light discoloration on the heel placement on the passenger side.

-POWER WINDOWS
The power windows roll down and up with no issues and quickly!  Good tracks and no dead rollers.

-RADIO
Original radio looks great AND works!!  AM cruising at the local shows!

-STEERING WHEEL
The wheel is in great shape with no major defects or cracking!

-GAUGES
All the gauges work!  RPM, speedo, boost, fuel and temp all read loud and clear!

-AC
AC service unknown.  All components appear to be intact and complete, but have not tried to get her working.

-HEADLINER
Great shape headliner and roll pillar!

Miscellaneous
This gorgeous Avanti also comes with manuals, spare parts and spare tire (perhaps original?)

The Experience:

This isn’t a “car”; this is an automobile, from a time when American styling was at its zenith, the era of Mad Men and the Kennedys. Be prepared: you will be flagged down at stoplights to explain the make and model frequently. The lines of this coupe are as eye-catching now as it was in 1963.

Piloting the Avanti takes one back to another era. I found it almost eerie, settling into the rich red interior and cruising past the Beverly Hills Hotel. It was as though I was in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, on my way to have coffee and a cigarette with Audrey Hepburn. I put my cell phone away in my pocket, because it felt like a hideous affront to the hopeful, simpler world this coupe harkens back to. I couldn’t help but throw my arm over the passenger seat and just motor, guiding the large textured steering wheel around the curves. (I resisted the urge to call people “Fred baby” and “knucklehead”). The 289 engine is torquey off the line and pulls nicely even from a stop. The Avanti was built to compete with the Thunderbird (though it in many ways was in its own class), and it has the giddy-up typical of 1960s coupes. Here’s what I noticed most of all: unlike modern luxury sports cars, which isolate the driver from the car and the world outside in every way they can, you feel this coupe: the V-8 purring up the steering column, the satisfying change of gears of the automatic transmission, and my favorite, really hanging on to the wheel going around curves. It was a letdown to get back in my daily driver, which felt soggy in comparison. What a breath of fresh air to get to at least test out such a crisp ride. I know you’ll enjoy it!