1963 Studebaker Avanti Sport Coupe

The original design for the Studebaker Avanti took only a few weeks for Raymond Loewy and his design team to create. Production began near the close of 1962 and soon attracted the attention of several celebrities and a large number of consumers. To showcase the car's capabilities, Andy Granatelli drove a specially-prepared example to over 170 mph at Bonneville. This meant the Avanti was the 'World's Fastest Production Car' at the time.

Though it was an advanced vehicle with better-than-average performance, sales were slow. Production soon came to a halt, and by 1964, Studebaker had closed its South Bend plant.

This Studebaker Avanti R1 example was produced during the first round headlights. The prior owner was Lloyd Richardson, who personally restored the car to factory specifications.

The car is painted in factory black with a black-and-tan vinyl interior. It is equipped with four-wheel disc brakes, fiberglass bodywork, a Borg-Warner Automatic gearbox, factory air conditioning, and a 289 cubic-inch 'Jet Thrust' V8 engine.

In 2007 the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, California, where it was estimated to sell for $20,000 - $30,000. It was offered without reserve. Those estimates proved accurate as the lot was sold for $30,800, including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2008