May 16th 2015 Premier Automobile Sale (13)
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/15/2015
The Avanti (Italian word for forward) was designed by Raymond Loewy, at the direction of Studebaker President Sherwood Egbert. Egbert, looking for a whole new generation of Studebakers, employed Loewy to design a revolutionary design, from which an entire line of family cars would evolve. Studebaker, however, closed its doors before the family cars were designed and manufactured. The Avanti gave the brand one last shining moment. A coke-bottle waist formed the base for a thin-section roof with a large rear window with built in roll bar. Razor-edged front fenders swept back into the curved rear, then into a raised tail section. Inside, ample dash padding was combined with four slim-section bucket seats and aircraft style gauge panel. The whole package was accepted for production with barely any changes made to the original design.For reasons of time and cost, the Avanti’s body was made of fiberglass. Fitted with a shortened and modified Skylark frame, the Avanti was fitted with anti-sway bars, and rear radius rods. Bendix disc brakes were the first caliper discs in domestic production. The engine was the best V8 Studebaker had, the 289 cu in 240 hp equipped with ¾ race cam, dual-breaker distributor, four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. Presented is perhaps the finest documented Studebaker Avanti available to market. Recently restored, the white on red automatic sports coupe retains its original bill of sale, deposit receipt, owner’s manual, 4,000 mile inspection coupon, accessories catalog, radio manual, ordering price guide and warranty policy booklet. Also included are restoration receipts. The Avanti has had just 3 owners from new and spent the majority of its life in Florida. Studebaker’s answer to the Chevrolet Corvette, first-generation Studebaker Avantis are continuing to be recognized for their rarity and sports car looks and performance.• Complete Restoration• All Factory Documents from New• Documented History• 289 cu in. Engine• Automatic Transmission• 62,627 miles