27th Feb, 2008 0:00
The Centaur
1963 Studebaker Avanti
Estimated at £9,000 - £11,000
Lot details
Registration No: ACK368A
Chassis No: 63R2866
Mot Expiry: April 2010
In order to try and counter a lack of showroom traffic in the early '60s, Studebaker commissioned Raymond Loewy to design a radical sports coupe. The resulting Avanti comprised a shortened version of the Studebaker Lark Convertible chassis clothed in a futuristic-looking fibreglass body. Avanti means 'advance' in Italian and in many ways the car was ahead of its time, with disc brakes and a limited slip differential as standard and a high level of passive safety including: optional seat belts, Mercedes-designed door-latches, a fully padded dashboard and a roll-over bar. The car received rave press reviews but early production problems sadly hindered sales, such that less than 5,000 examples were eventually made from the car's introduction in June 1963 to the closure of the line a bare 18 months later. Under the circumstances, Avantis are very rare - especially outside their native America. Power for the Avanti came from an in-house Studebaker 4.7-litre V8 that was offered in various states of tune - both normally aspirated (240hp) and supercharged (290hp), courtesy of a Paxton blower.
The example offered is finished in metallic red complemented by a red and beige vinyl interior. We are informed that the Studebaker has only had three owners from new, the current custodian having imported it to the UK some eight years ago. On arrival he treated the car to a fresh coat of paint as the original one had apparently "gone flat". In other respects this American classic is claimed to be very original and to have been garaged throughout its life. The left-hand drive car is fitted with the R1 normally aspirated engine and rides on factory optional Magnum 500 wheels. The owner describes the car as being in "very good" (engine, automatic transmission), "excellent / original" (interior trim) or "excellent" (bodywork, paintwork) condition, while he notes that "the electrical equipment works except for the day clock". The car comes with a Swansea V5 and is MOT'd until April next year. Apparently there is a quantity of spares (including a new rear axle) that could be purchased separately. Also available is the original owner's plaque that was wrongly inscribed by the factory and later replaced by the correct one.
Registration No: ACK368A
Chassis No: 63R2866
Mot Expiry: April 2010
In order to try and counter a lack of showroom traffic in the early '60s, Studebaker commissioned Raymond Loewy to design a radical sports coupe. The resulting Avanti comprised a shortened version of the Studebaker Lark Convertible chassis clothed in a futuristic-looking fibreglass body. Avanti means 'advance' in Italian and in many ways the car was ahead of its time, with disc brakes and a limited slip differential as standard and a high level of passive safety including: optional seat belts, Mercedes-designed door-latches, a fully padded dashboard and a roll-over bar. The car received rave press reviews but early production problems sadly hindered sales, such that less than 5,000 examples were eventually made from the car's introduction in June 1963 to the closure of the line a bare 18 months later. Under the circumstances, Avantis are very rare - especially outside their native America. Power for the Avanti came from an in-house Studebaker 4.7-litre V8 that was offered in various states of tune - both normally aspirated (240hp) and supercharged (290hp), courtesy of a Paxton blower.
The example offered is finished in metallic red complemented by a red and beige vinyl interior. We are informed that the Studebaker has only had three owners from new, the current custodian having imported it to the UK some eight years ago. On arrival he treated the car to a fresh coat of paint as the original one had apparently "gone flat". In other respects this American classic is claimed to be very original and to have been garaged throughout its life. The left-hand drive car is fitted with the R1 normally aspirated engine and rides on factory optional Magnum 500 wheels. The owner describes the car as being in "very good" (engine, automatic transmission), "excellent / original" (interior trim) or "excellent" (bodywork, paintwork) condition, while he notes that "the electrical equipment works except for the day clock". The car comes with a Swansea V5 and is MOT'd until April next year. Apparently there is a quantity of spares (including a new rear axle) that could be purchased separately. Also available is the original owner's plaque that was wrongly inscribed by the factory and later replaced by the correct one.
Auction: The Centaur, 27th Feb, 2008
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