1963 Studebaker Avanti

1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 Coupe For consignment, a 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 coupe showing 43,113 miles but the true miles are unknown. This is one of just 1,832 R2s produced in 63 and 64 and leading up to production, three supercharged Avantis 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 Avanti Turquoise and adding a touch of mid century modern to the showroom floor, all of the straight 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, hinting of wings that flow down to the flush, wrap around rectangular tail lights. A long front hood wears a wonderfully 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 rear window transfers its lines to the 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 mid century era as well. The body work, including the large, polished tail lights and 15-inch wheels with unique 5 spoke covers, is in nice shape. The paint is fairly rough with many chips, some of which have been touched up, scratches, cracking paint, surfaces rust, and uneven filler. Interior A 90 degree swing of the large doors that afford plenty of ergonomic space to access and egress, the panels are covered with turquoise vertical stitched vinyl blue carpeted bottoms, and ivory vinyl sills all showing some driver quality patina. Swinging our eye to the seats we note turquoise low back bomber buckets in front with some compression on the drivers side but in overall good shape. The 2+2 rear seats in back are clean but have several tears in the lower while side armrests and obligatory ashtrays are in fine condition. The console races forward, and houses a locking storage bin, a white ball handled shifter, and some futuristic T-levers for the air controls, all with some light patina. For the original dash which presents in ivory, we note nicely preserved original gauges within a clean, aluminum oval panel, canted inward at the ends. The original ivory steering wheel is in front, and an AM radio is perfectly inserted into the vertical ribbed padded dashboard. The floors are covered in low pile aqua carpet in good shape protected by vintage plastic mats, while the headliner sports a textured covering in ivory under the padded roll bar, along with an overhead console with eight toggle switches for lights and vent. The trunk shows usage in its coverage of gray flannel. Drivetrain The engine bay shows a driver quality though clean 289ci V8, topped by a rebuilt 4-barrel carburetor enhanced by the Paxton supercharger. Theres some polished metal under the hood to help with visual appeal 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. Rebuilt parts include the alternator and fuel pump, while the radiator and gas tank were reconditioned. Undercarriage Generally clean and driver quality underneath as well where the dual exhaust runs through stock style mufflers just before they snake their way to the back and exit via those large, chrome tips that would make a muscle car blush. We note some residual oil on the pan and rearward, and some typical surface rust throughout. The suspension includes front independent coil springs, and rear leaf springs. Theres some residual oil on the transmission and oil pan but were not seeing active leaks. Drive-Ability This oddity of the 1963 car world fired up, ran a bit rough at first until he warmed up and smoothed out. 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 thats located on the left wing of the instrument panel, and the horn, 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 mid century design all wrapped up driver quality but straight R2. This is a relatively rare car so restoration might be in order here, but thats completely up to you. As is, they are a thrill to drive and definitely a head turner. Something tells us if Frank Lloyd Wright 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 supercharged Studebaker. 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 (thats 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.