1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 Coupe
The rakish 1963-64 Studebaker Avanti was among the most daring 1960s American cars, a modern masterpiece with totally unique American styling that even top exotic Italian auto stylists wouldn't attempt to do. The Avanti had advanced safety features, when no U.S. automaker particularly gave too much f Such features included a built-in roll bar, padded interior and door latches that became structural body members when closed.
For consignment, a 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 coupe with a title verified 75,893 actual miles. This is one of just 1,832 R2's produced in '63 and '64 and leading up to production, three supercharged Avanti's broke 29 production car speed records in 1962 at the Bonneville Salt Flats. In 1963, an Avanti became the fastest production car in the world with a top speed in excess of 170 mph.
Exterior
Bathed in Velvet Black and adding a touch of mid century modern to the showroom floor, all straight steel panels are seen minding their gaps very nicely. The grilleless front design is Jetson-esque dripping with modern design, round headlights and a rounded tail with slightly upturned fender, a mere hint of wings that flow down to flush, wraparound and rectangular tail lights. A long front hood wears an offset power bulge with Studebaker ornamentation and works its way up to a slightly raked windscreen with polished A-pillars and a roof with an integrated B pillar roll bar. A curved greenhouse glass rear window runs through the trunk line and forms a small trunk lid just behind it. All the details from the side view mirror supports, door handles and even badging, are stylistically handled in a very tasteful way, and reflect the midcentury era as well. Bumpers are just fantastic all around, and under the rear bumper, are dual large chromed tipped tailpipes peeking out. 15-inch wheels wear unique 5 spoke caps and white wall tires. Imperfections are limited to one area of chipped paint and another with scratch and ding.
Interior
A 90 degree swing of the large doors that afford plenty of ergonomic space to access and egress, the panels are covered with red vertical stitched vinyl in the middle with red carpeted bottoms, and on top at the sills is an ivory panel also in vinyl and all shows some patina that a good detail could likely remedy. Pristine door handles grace these door panels, as does a stylized door pull. Swinging our eye to the seats we note red low back bomber buckets in front with some wear and compression on the driver's side, and nice 2+2 rear seating with side armrests and obligatory ashtrays. A red console races forward, and houses a locking storage bin, a chrome handle shifter, and some futuristic T-levers for the air controls, and again patina in the form of some dirt appears. For the original dash which presents in ivory, we note nicely preserved original gauges within an oval panel, canted inward at the ends. The original steering wheel is in front and shows age but is intact while an AM radio is perfectly inserted into the vertical ribbed padded dashboard. The floors are covered in black and red loop style carpet in good shape and wearing Studebaker branded mats, while the headliner sports a textured covering in ivory under the padded roll bar. The trunk shows usage in its coverage of low pile black carpet.
Drivetrain
The engine bay shows a driver quality though clean 289ci V8, topped by a 4-barrel carburetor enhanced by the Paxton supercharger. There's plenty of polished metal under the hood to render it show worthy and that supercharger is an exotic piece for 1963. A T10 4-speed manual transmission is behind the 289 and sends power to the Dana 44 with 3.31 gears in the rear axle. Power brakes are configured as discs in front and drums in the rear.
Undercarriage
Generally clean and driver quality underneath as well where the dual exhaust is adorned with Cherrybomb mufflers just before they snake their way to the back and exit via those large, chrome tips that would make a muscle car blush. The suspension includes front independent coil springs, and rear leaf springs. There's some residual oil on the transmission and oil pan but we're not seeing active leaks.
Drive-Ability
This 1963 oddity of the car world did not disappoint as it fired right up and took off like a jet towards the test loop. The cabin is airy with lots of glass but also big C-pillars to support the roll bar and also add unique styling to the exterior, so mind your blind spots! The car performed well with great cornering, great acceleration, and good stopping power. With the exception of the clock that's located on the left fold of the instrument panel, all functions worked as they are intended to. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
A piece of moving sculpture, a rolling work of art, a lesson in midcentury design all wrapped up in nice paint, a beautiful interior, and an exotic American engine. A thrill to drive, and definitely a head turner. Something tells us if Frank Lloyd Wright would have lived to 1963, this is the kind of car he perhaps would have designed, but definitely would have driven. You too can be an icon of style and design by picking up this black beauty.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
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