At $19,500, Is This 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 A Supercharged Steal?

While the Avanti famously outlived its original manufacturer by decades, as evidenced by its round headlamp buckets, today's Nice Price or No Dice R2 is one of the first run Studebaker cars. It's a bit rough looking, but it is claimed to be mechanically refreshed. Let's see if we can overlook the aesthetics after viewing its price.

In the Shakespearean adaptation, "Ten Things I Hate About You," Larisa Oleynik's character, Bianca, explains her nuanced views on liking and loving, schooling her friend, Chastity, played by Gabrielle Union, saying, "There's a difference between like and love. Because I like my Skechers, but I love my Prada backpack." Slightly confused, Chastity replies, "But I love my Skechers," leading Bianca to retort, " That's because you don't have a Prada backpack."

A similar line of thinking could be applied to ownership of the 1994 Toyota Camry LE wagon we considered yesterday. Well-equipped and in decent shape, it should have years and miles of comfortable, trouble-free service ahead of it. That's enough to like, but could the car's $7,500 asking price instill a sense of love for the longroof seven-seater? Only time will tell. But with a 66% 'Nice Price' win under its belt, that Camry is off to a good start.

You can view Studebaker's Avanti as either a last gasp, desperate attempt to save the dying car maker, or as the singularly brilliant culmination of what the on-the-ropes century-old company could muster.

Either way, the fiberglass-bodied personal coupe was, upon its introduction, and still is today, one of the most forward-looking designs in automotive history. Designed over a 40-day crash course in a rented house in Palm Springs, California, by a small design team led by the internationally-famous industrial design legend, Raymond Loewy, the Avanti didn't just stand apart from every other car in Studebaker's lineup. A clean sheet design, it featured styling elements like covered headlamps and a bottom-breather grille that wouldn't become mainstream in the industry for decades to come. An aircraft cabin-inspired interior, with advanced safety features, was equally futuristic for the time.

Ironically, everything under that body and its cool cabin was nearly a decade old, as the Avanti rides on the 109-inch wheelbase chassis of the Lark convertible, chosen for its extra reinforcements, needed as the Avanti was positioned as a capable sports tourer.

Aiding and abetting in that distinction were the Avanti's available engine options. The starting point was a 240 (gross) horsepower, 289 cubic inch displacement Hawk V8. Stepping up from that is the R2 edition, which matches a Paxton centrifugal supercharger to the 289, bumping the ponies to 290. An R3 model with bigger intake and exhaust porting reportedly made 335 horses and powered an Avanti to over 170 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats, besting Chevy's Corvette for the title of fastest production car in the world in 1963.

This 1963 Studebaker Avanti is an R2 model, the R3s being vastly more rare and hence more typically six-figure cars. According to the ad, it has been thoroughly overhauled and reconditioned mechanically. That work included a .030 overbore of the engine during its rebuild and a refreshing of the Flight-O-Matic three-speed (a licensed version of Ford's Ford-O-Matic) with a new torque converter. Under-body pics show a chassis that appears clean and meticulously rejuvenated. New Coker tires on TorqThrust alloys complete the upgrades. The ad says the car has 19,630 miles on the clock, and less than 100 of those have been added since the restoration work, so there's likely still some breaking in and adjustments to be made.

Unfortunately, the car's appearance doesn't match its mechanicals. As is often the case with private party projects of this nature, age and infirmity are preventing the current owner from addressing the car's bodywork and interior needs. They are hence now offering the Avanti for sale to someone with the wherewithal to, as the ad says, "take it across the finish line."

Craigslist

What's needed is a complete respray and all the work that entails to repair whatever stress fractures and crazing age and the sun have created in the fiberglass bodywork. The ad also mentions some minor fiberglass work on the right rear quarter panel, but the extent is not evident from the provided pictures. Then there's some interior work needed, although the seats have already been reupholstered and the carpet looks fresh. The biggest bugbear, though, is likely the electrical system, which the ad says needs to be sorted. That can be daunting, although to quell such fears slightly, it should be noted that this car is old enough that its electrical system is about as basic as can be.

Because of the half-baked nature of the car's restoration, this is one of the cheapest, running, and driving Avanti R2s on the market. The seller claims that completing the restoration could conceivably double the car's current asking price of $19,500. That, of course, is pie-in-the-sky spitballing and doesn't take into account what it might cost to bring closure to this Avanti's restoration story. Still, nothing that is still needed should affect the car's current drivability, so it can be enjoyed in its present state without much bother. The question, of course, is whether that present state is worth the $19,500 asking price to enjoy.

What do you say? Is this almost-there Avanti worth that much cash? Or is this somebody else's project that needs to be way cheaper, since the next owner can't check their work?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Phoenix, Arizona, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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