Avanti
I saw my first Avanti one summer in the mid-1970s when I was 12 or 13. It must have belonged to someone who liked to golf, because it showed up at the local par-3 course at least once or twice a week. Standing out from the rococo "personal luxury" cars surrounding it, the clean-lined Avanti was a jet-age marvel that belonged in the driveway of the House of the Future.
I immediately wanted it.
In 1961, Studebaker's energetic new president, Sherwood Egbert, was working hard to turn the fading car-maker's fortunes around. He retained legendary designer Raymond Loewy to style a new "halo car" that would attract attention. Forty days later, Loewy’s team finished their design. They called it "Avanti," an Italian word meaning "forward," and what they had designed was certainly going to attract attention.
The car was low and swoopy, with "Coke bottle" curves in the fenders and a short, up-swept tail. At a time when wide chrome grilles were the norm, the Avanti had nothing on its sharply-beveled nose above the bumper but two headlights. An asymmetric bulge ran down the hood and through the windshield to form the top of the instrument panel. There were no bright chrome side moldings, hood ornaments, or tail fins--just discreet stainless trim and modest bumpers.
The Avanti was swank and sophisticated and had "space age" written all over it. It was a car for Mercury astronauts and Boeing 707 pilots and Nat King Cole. If Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore drove to a tiki bar for cocktail hour, they'd be driving there in an Avanti.
Egbert wanted to unveil the Avanti as a 1963 model at the New York Auto Show in April, 1962. Turning clay models and sketches into a production car in less than a year would be a challenge for any manufacturer. For cash-strapped Studebaker, creativity would have to make up for what the budget couldn't provide. It didn't have the coin to engineer a new chassis or drivetrain, and it couldn't afford to produce the car's body panels in steel.
The body would be made out of fiberglass to cut tooling costs, with fabrication farmed out to the same vendor that made components for the Corvette. The frame came from the Lark convertible, the suspension from the Studebaker parts bin. The only truly new technical feature was the Dunlop disc brakes on the front wheels--the Avanti was the first U.S. production car to have them. To mate the fiberglass body to the narrow frame, the engineers bolted wide steel channels (called “hog troughs” by Avanti fans) to the outer frame rails. 
Inside, the instrument panel and console suggested an aircraft cockpit, a theme enhanced by putting the light switches on an overhead panel. The bucket seats were reverse-engineered from an Alfa Romeo Spider. In an unusual touch, the glove compartment contained a built-in vanity with mirror.
Though cobbled together in haste and on the cheap, the Avanti drove as well as it looked. A base-model Avanti would go from zero to 60 in 10 seconds, a respectable turn of speed for 1962. Reviewers praised the car's braking and handling. With its sophisticated looks and sporty performance, it was the 3-series BMW of its day.
The base engine for the Avanti was the "Jet Thrust R1," a 289 cubic inch V-8 which produced 244 horsepower. Most buyers ordered the optional R2 engine with a Paxton supercharger, tuned by racing legend Andy Granatelli and his brothers Vince and Joe. The R2 produced 289 horsepower--one horsepower per cubic inch--and propelled the Avanti from zero to 60 in around seven seconds. An R2 Avanti could accelerate with the contemporary E-type Jaguar and Corvette Stingray, and outrun the 1964 Mustang.
The ultimate Avanti was the supercharged R3, of which there were two prototypes and nine production examples. The Granatelli brothers bored out the R3's engine to 304.5 cubic inches and fitted larger valves and hotter cams. It produced either 335 or 400 horsepower, depending on whether you believe the official Studebaker press releases or later comments from the Granatellis. Whatever the correct horsepower rating was, an R3 could scream from zero to 60 in five and a half seconds. The prototype recorded a top speed of 171.10 MPH on the Bonneville salt flats, making the Avanti the fastest production car in the world.
The R3 was a true fire-breathing muscle car--the swankest, most uptown fire-breathing muscle car ever built. It was the only fire-breathing muscle car with a built-in vanity in the glove compartment as standard equipment. You could even order it in pastel turquoise! (Two customers actually did.)
Though an artistic and engineering success, the Avanti was not enough to save Studebaker. It was a little too radically styled for its own good, and the perception of Studebaker as a fading brand surely didn't help. Full production was delayed by numerous engineering bugs (a consequence of the shoestring development budget) which led to canceled orders and lost sales. When Sherwood Egbert left Studebaker in late 1963 due to illness, the company's newfound energy left with him. Studebaker closed its South Bend plant, and the Avanti model was dropped after only 4,647 had been built.
The story would have ended there but for Nathan D. Altman, a Studebaker dealer in South Bend with a great love for the Avanti. In what is perhaps history's greatest example of car lust, he bought the tooling, design rights, and parts inventory from Studebaker, along with part of the abandoned South Bend factory, and started his own automobile company just to keep it alive.
From 1965 through 1985, Avanti Motor Corporation hand-built between 50 and 200 "Avanti II" vehicles each year. Customers ordered them direct from the factory. You could have your Avanti II painted any color, and fitted with any upholstery and carpet found in the civilized world. The build quality was, of course, superlative.
As Studebaker had discontinued the 289 V-8, the Avanti II used a Chevrolet engine. When the supply of 1963-vintage Powershift automatic transmissions ran out, GM Turbo-Hydramatics were substituted. In the early 1980s, body-color bumpers were introduced. Other than that, the basic 1962 design (with the squared-off headlight bezels introduced for the 1964 model year) remained in production--Coke-bottle curves, overhead switches, built-in vanity, and all--until the stock of Lark convertible frames was finally used up.
Even then, the Avanti did not quite die. Seven hundred or so Avantis were made from 1987 through 1992 by putting fiberglass body panels on Chevrolet chassis. A reconstituted Avanti Motors resumed production in 2000, fitting a modified version of Raymond Loewy's Coke-bottle curves to a Ford Mustang platform.
Loewy's design is now nearing fifty years old, but the Avanti still looks like a car out of science fiction. Avantis have been cast as background vehicles in sci-fi productions such as Gattaca and the new Battlestar Galactica precisely for their crisp retro-future looks. Park one next to a 21st-century Camry or Taurus, and it's no contest--the Avanti has them completely out-swanked and out-futured.
Once I learned that Avanti Motor Corporation was still in business, I spent much of that summer lobbying my father to take the '72 Ford Galaxie to South Bend and trade it in for an Avanti II. It didn't work. Dad's taste in automobiles didn't run to exotic sports coupes.
I still want one. Both Studebaker Avantis and Avanti IIs show up regularly in the used car listings, and they're not that expensive as collector cars go. The fiberglass bodies have held up well, but one must be wary of rust in the frames and hog troughs. If I ever get one, I'll have to dress appropriately-- Botany 500 suits and narrow ties--and rig a hidden CD changer to play Brubeck and Mancini, Sinatra and Nat King Cole through the radio speakers. Anything less ... well, it wouldn't be cool enough.
See you at the tiki bar.
The commercial art paintings and the uber-cool cocktail party scene (with Raymond Loewy and Sherwood Egbert making cameo appearances in the background!) are Studebaker promotional images found at theavanti.com, which also provided the interior photo showing the built-in vanity cleared for action. The brightly colored Avanti IIs (including the pink "Malibu Barbie custom edition") come from the gallery pages at the Avanti Source website.
--Cookie the Dog's Owner
Chris Hafner on July 22, 2008 at 08:31 AM
Thanks for opening my eyes on the Avanti. Despite its ground-breaking technology, I've always been guilty of under-appreciating the Avanti. I'd always thought the styling awkward and its later history gave me a little bit of the kit-car heebie-jeebies.
But I'm a bit of a mod/space-age/mid-century buff, and seeing the promotional pictures of the Avanti in that setting aligned the whole thing for me. You know how when you crack your knuckles nothing fundamental has really changed, but the odd sense of unease has been replaced by a sense of satisfaction? That's how I feel now. All of a sudden the Avanti makes sense; everything has fallen into place, and finally I get it.
kenny on July 22, 2008 at 09:05 AM
This is a extremely interesting story.
Frank Black on July 22, 2008 at 09:16 AM
Someone else wrote a bit about actually owning an Avanti: http://www.slate.com/id/2167797/
He does make some good points. Lusting after some of these things and actually owning one can bring one in for a rude awakening. Like I always say, an old car isn't transportation, it's a project.
Big Chris on July 22, 2008 at 09:33 AM
The pink Avanti made me want to gouge my eyes out. That is so very wrong.
The interior works, but I don't like the body lines, especially not that front hood. The R3 is a cool mix, but there is no possible way you'd convince me to do 171mph with that short of a wheelbase! That's insanity!!
Big Chris
Rob the SVX guy on July 22, 2008 at 12:13 PM
My father is a huge studebaker fan, who's owned quite a few over his lifetime, including supercharged champions (engines swapped from GoldenHawks), but now has just one; 1955 Studebaker Speedster. Very rare stude, and it's almost done being restored. I'll probably post about it later this summer, when it's completed. Anyway, I grew up around studebakers, and I was never a fan of the Avanti either. From the side, it's fairly attractive, but from the front, it's always just looked awkward. The absence of a grill might look clean to some people, but to me it's as weird looking as a Mercury Sable with it's faux headlight running across the front of the car. I like my cars to have some sort of opening in front, otherwise it just looks like an electric car. Anyway, it's definitely a very interesting car with a fascinating history...but the design just doesn't "do it" for me. Raymond Loewy also coined the "MAYA theory", which stands for "most advanced, yet still acceptable". It means you can only push the envelope so far, until the general public hates your design (see: Subaru SVX, Avanti, and tons of other great cars that failed miserably).
Rob the SVX guy on July 22, 2008 at 12:16 PM
BTW, excellent writeup Cookie! :) I knew a lot about the car, and you covered all the bases, and then some! Congrats!
David Colborne on July 22, 2008 at 09:35 PM
I'm not a Studebaker aficionado, which is probably because my parents hadn't even made it out of elementary school by the time Studebaker stopped being a going concern. Even so, though, I've always had a soft spot for their products, especially the later off-beat ones like the Lark and the Avanti.
That said... wow. That's some serious '60s kitsch right there. I love it. It's a pity that Studebaker stopped making cars at the same time it finally started to get interesting. It does make you wonder when Chrysler is going to try something similar.
Brian on July 23, 2008 at 03:36 AM
Awesome writing. Cool story, very interesting car.
David Drucker on July 23, 2008 at 05:19 AM
I've always liked the Avanti, one some level, but not nearly as much as pretty much any Studebaker that bore the Hawk logo. That includes the Silver and Golden Hawks of the 50s, the Hawk GT that was sold concurrently with the Avanti, and even the Packard Hawk that was one of that marque's last gasps after the Studebaker merger/takeover.
The grille-free front end doesn't bother me in principle, but the execution isn't as clean as, say, the original Infinit Q45 or '92 Crown Vic. The unmistakable Avanti profile, by contrast, has stood the test of time, at least for me. It didn't take kindly to being stretched into a four-door sedan, a prototype for which was on display at the NY Auto show in 1989 or thereabouts. Avanti was, at the time, trying for yet another comeback, under yet another owner. (I should have saved that press kit!)
OldCarGuy on July 23, 2008 at 05:38 AM
Great story, Cookie! I knew very little about the Avanti before now. I can't wait to see one again in person, now that I have a better understanding from whence it came.
jiminjersey on July 23, 2008 at 07:40 AM
I always loved the Avanti...
Back in the late 70's my dad had a part time job cleaning the office of a doctor. The doctor had an Avanti. I remember my dad asking me to take the garbage out to a dumpster in the back parking lot. I always got side tracked and walked around that dark red Avanti staring at it until my dad would come around the corner asking what the hell I was doing. "Are you looking at that car again?" he would yell. "Yup" would be my short reply. "Well if you ever want to afford one you better get back to work!" would be his retort. He wasn't fooling anyone. On his way out of the parking lot I caught him looking at that car on more than one occasion.
I thought that car was right out of science fiction. I had never seen anything like. I loved it and I have loved them ever since. They are relatively affordable. I am hoping I am able to get one soon for my Sunday driver.
Michael H. Epstein on July 23, 2008 at 08:58 AM
I was lucky enough to have alot of great cars in high school and always lusted for an Avanti II; I even ordered the brochures and build sheet from Mr Altman. In fact I just found them recently and gave them to a friend who worked for Avanti. I never ordered the car but I still think they are beautiful today!
Cookie the Dog's Owner on July 23, 2008 at 09:32 AM
Thanks to one and all for all the kind words about the article!
@Frank: "Someone else wrote a bit about actually owning an Avanti" -- I'd read the same article when it first came out. he's right, a '63 Avanti is not, and really should not be, your daily driver. If I ever get one, it'll be used for cruise-ins at Dairy Queen and the occasional Saturday night out at the tiki bar.
@Big Chris: "The pink Avanti made me want to gouge my eyes out. That is so very wrong." -- Agreed! If I ever see it in person, I'm getting a couple of bottles of paint stripper and a spray booth and staging an intervention.
@David Colborne: "That's some serious '60s kitsch right there. I love it. It's a pity that Studebaker stopped making cars at the same time it finally started to get interesting." -- I can imagine an alternate-universe version of the Sixties in which Sherwood Egbert didn't get sick, Studebaker kept the South Bend plant open, and Ronnie and the Daytonas had a hit single called "Little Avanti" instead of "Little GTO." Sigh.
@David Drucker: "I've always liked the Avanti, one some level, but not nearly as much as pretty much any Studebaker that bore the Hawk logo."
@Rob: "My father is a huge Studebaker fan, who's owned quite a few over his lifetime . . . but now has just one; 1955 Studebaker Speedster. Very rare Stude, and it's almost done being restored. I'll probably post about it later this summer, when it's completed."
Both the Speedster and the Hawk series are derivatives of Raymond Loewy's 1953 coupe design--all very beautiful and Lust-worthy vehicles. I can hardly wait for Rob's post!
AutoCar-Live on July 23, 2008 at 09:34 AM
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Chris Hafner on July 23, 2008 at 09:39 AM
I'm almost completely Studebaker-ignorant, but I've always loved the lines of the Starliner. Was it based on the Hawk? My Dad and I made a friendly bet at one point on that question, but I don't think we ever resolved it. There might be as much as $1 in the balance!
Cookie the Dog's Owner on July 23, 2008 at 09:45 AM
@Chris: "I've always loved the lines of the Starliner. Was it based on the Hawk?" -- Other way around, actually. The Hawk was the '53-'55 Loewy coupe body with a "stand-up radiator" grille and a different decklid.
Mochi Mochi on July 23, 2008 at 09:57 AM
Excellent article! It really captures all that is great about the Avanti and consolidates its history (something I've always wondered about.) Like CookieTDO I was similarly taken by the Avanti when I first saw it as a child car-fanatic. It was like some kind of alien spaceship. I remember my first take on the car was confusion. At the time the design of American cars, no matter how different, was always very american. Similarly European cars were always very European. Almost with out fail you could tell one from the other. And even as a child I was pretty good at that. But the Avanti was something different. It looked like a car from Europe but it also had a distinctly American design "feel" about it. I remember looking for some kind of clue as to its origins, all I could see was the "avanti" tag. So I decided it must be italian... a little later on I figured out it was a Studebaker and actually an american car. This mixed design feel makes a lot of sense given that Lowey was at the helm.
In looking at the original concept sketch that Lowey did for the Avanti I wonder what the result might have been for Studebaker had the concept drawing been maintained. Would it have been a little more accessible to the buying public? Would it have turned their fortunes around? I wonder what drove the dramatic changes between the concept (more accessible) and the final design (more extreme). Was it Lowey or the company?
concept sketch :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:LC-USZC4-3923_Avanti_Loewy.jpg
Ric Locke on July 23, 2008 at 07:40 PM
No grille on the Avanti --
The original Loewy Starliner and its relatives had fairly severe cooling problems out of the box. This is one of the reasons the Hawk had a "stand up" grille, but you couldn't do that with the original Loewy design. The solution was to add a piece of sheet metal, just ahead of the front wheels, that scooped air up from under the car and into the radiator. It wasn't until much later that aerodynamicists figured out why the resulting cars were so fast. Studebaker had invented the air dam in the early Fifties!
The Avanti has the same scoop. I, too, think that the only real bad feature of the styling of the car is the blank front end, and I'll always think of it as Loewy's wry comment on engineering necessity. He always tried to design producible and drivable cars (as opposed to, say, Michael Stoll) but it didn't always work out that way.
Regards,
Ric
Johan Amedeus Metesky on July 23, 2008 at 07:41 PM
Raymond Loewy may have been the greatest industrial designer ever. As far as cars are concerned, both the '53 coupe and the Avanti are often on top 10 lists of car designs. Temple Beth El in suburban Detroit had a car show a couple of weeks ago. I do custom embroidery and happen to specialize in cars and Judaica, so a car show at a synagogue is pretty much my core market, so I went over to hand out business cards. There was a gorgeous brown and cream Starliner coupe in great shape.
Joe Jackson on July 23, 2008 at 08:37 PM
My first car was a '54 Studebaker Commander V8 (3 on the tree with overdrive). It was truly a great car. Unfortunately I was too young and dumb to know what I had and after a couple of years traded it for a '57 Chevy.
I, too, liked the Avanti. But I LOVED the Golden Hawk.
Bryan Frymire on July 23, 2008 at 09:18 PM
Ugliest car ever built.
dick on July 23, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Love the Avanti. I remember seeing them when they first came out and wanting one in the worst way. Unfortunately I was a PFC in the Army at the time and married as well so not a chance.
I came from a Studebaker family. My dad got his first one, a 1928 Studebaker President, in 1933. After that he had a 1932, 1935, 1940, 1947, 1952, 1955, 1959, 1963. When it came time to get a new car, he just called up the Studebaker dealer in town and told him what he wanted and that was that. Almost never had any problems with them at all.
I had 3 Studebaker Silver Hawks and again no problems. I drove one for 160K miles in a year and a half and my only repair was a punctured gas line. Other than that it was just change the oil and tune up the spark plugs.I commuted 65 miles each way to work in that car and it really did move right out. Wish I still had it.
david frazier on July 26, 2008 at 01:23 PM
just happened on to your site i have a 55 commander and am looking for sheet metal any one that could help with any sources would be greatly appricateed can contact me email smokeydave43@yahoo.com
Gene on August 26, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Never was a match for the Corvette. I was glad to see them running to Canada (not unlike the Vietnam scaredikats) so we didn't have to continue to hook them back to back with each years Corvette to show that they didn't have the power and traction to haul-butt!
Carmen on September 12, 2008 at 11:07 PM
From the first time that I saw the Avanti,in high school (1967),I fell in love with this car.I think that i'ts one of the most beautiful automobile ever produced. The designer of this car was way ahed of his time. I would love,some day to own one.