Studebaker Avanti Exhibits the Power of Creativity

To any student of the world’s best GT cars, the Studebaker Avanti is a coveted classic. Studebaker was an early producer of automobiles, making the jump from creating horse-drawn carriages. It developed a reputation for being well-built, yet slightly stodgy cars. Seeking to find a niche after World War II, the company danced between conservative sedans and quirky coupes. In 1954, just as the company fell out of the top ten auto producers, they purchased Packard. Not only did the move kill the company financially, it also furthered the stodgy image.

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Company President Sherwood Egbert felt a halo car like a ’57 Thunderbird, Corvette or Chrysler 300D in the 1963 model line could woo new people into Studebaker showrooms. The car had to deliver performance, luxury and style for an increasingly fashion-conscious market. Designer Raymond Loewy ensured the Avanti would be unique. The car’s front lacked a front grill, but had two large round headlights. There was a power bulge hood, and radical rounded tail. Bodies were fiberglass, and built by the same factory supplying Corvettes to GM.

With a base price of $4445, the Avanti was slightly more expensive than the Riviera – Buick’s new competing grand tourer. Winton and Maureen Jondahl’s 1963 Avanti stands out among the cars parked at the Horseless Carriage Club of America’s car show at the Olympia Airport. With dozens of cars from the 1920s and 1930s serving as the backdrop, the Avanti looks like it’s from a different world. Even compared to a contemporary Buick Riviera behind it, the Studebaker looks small, sporty and ultra-modern.

Up from the Vancouver area for the show, Winton allowed me to take the Avanti for a quick drive to see why enthusiasts are so passionate about these Studebakers. I made myself at home in the gorgeous leather bucket seats, which look more Jaguar than Studebaker. In true GT form, seating for four is more for short trips, short passengers, or tag-alongs for whom the owner is short on respect.

Like a Gordon-Keeble or Riviera, the Avanti’s interior utilizes airplane cockpit styling. Stainless trim offsets cream-colored paint, vinyl and leather. Facing the driver is a wood-grain area housing no less than eight circular gauges. Central and overhead consoles feature elegantly formed controls. Even the rear-view mirror has class, although its placement low on the dash means lesser rearward visibility.

Turning the ignition key, located directly below the tachometer, engages the starter motor with a muted whir eerily similar to a historic single prop airplane. The engine caught immediately and I was greeted by a smooth, quiet idle. Since this was a desirable four-speed car (three-speed was standard, with an automatic as a popular option,) I depressed the clutch and route the shifter up into first. The Avanti offered a hill holder clutch, which I’ve accidentally engaged with a firm push to the brake. Letting off the clutch in neutral releases it. I manage to set the hill holder again at the end of the driveway.

Clutch pickup is smooth and progressive. The shifter has a firm, precise and short throw that again seems more British in operation than American. Even without the benefit of power steering (it was an option,) the two spoke wheel takes little muscle. Unlike many other American grand tourers, the Avanti has competent handling and good brakes with firm feel. Atthe core of the car’s appeal is its amazing power. All Avantis got a 289 cubic inch V8. Base models delivered 240 horsepower, but this car is an ultra-desirable R2-equipped version, meaning 290 hp courtesy of a factory-installed Paxton belt-driven centrifugal supercharger.

Though supercharger whine is hardly noticeable, it unleashes prodigious and nicely linear power. It’s easy to understand how racer (and Paxton President) Andy Granatelli managed to set 29 speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in a stock Avanti. Only 3834 Avantis were made in 1963, and just 809 in 1964. (1964 cars are recognizable by square headlights.) Some blame it on controversial styling or an unsalvageable corporate image, but in reality Studebaker’s financial problems required the company to reshuffle and end Avanti production.

Two Studebaker dealers acquired the rights to continue production (as the Avanti II). With slightly altered bodywork and Chevy smallblock V8 power, the cars soldiered on until the early 1990s. But as they say, there’s no replacing a true original. The 1963-64 Avanti stands as one of the great examples of individualism. Love or hate the styling, but there’s no denying its appeal from the driver’s seat.