1964 Studebaker Avanti

1964 Studebaker Avanti R2/R3.  Cover car Avanti Magazine Fall/Winter 2018, The “10th”Avanti R-3.  Frame-off restoration by internationally known Avanti Specialist, Brad Bez.  Mr. Bez is a contributing author to the Avanti Owners Association International 1963/1964 Studebaker Avanti Authenticity Guyide.mong other accolades, Mr. Bez is noted for is restoring Raymond Lowey’s personal Avanti at the request of the Lowey family which is now in the Studebaker Museum in South Bend Indiana, his 1stPlace Gold medal Avanti awarded at the 2016 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, and a 63 Avanti accepted into the 2019 Amelia Island Concours.  

The Granatelli brothers assembled the R-3 engines on behalf of Studebaker using Studebaker components.  The R-3 engines were available as an option on Studebaker production cars.  On October 22, 1963, “Andy Granatelli drove an R-3 Avanti to break the former-year-old Studebaker records for the American Class C Closed Car Supercharged and American Unlimited Class Closed Car categories, clocking averages up to 170.8 mph for all distances from 1km through 10 miles” ( Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 8).  R-3 engine #B-61 is in the car you see here.  R-3 engine #B-62 was placed in the back-up car at the Bonneville Salt Flats for Andy Granatelli’s record breaking runs which resulted in 29 land speed records in a 12-hour period for Studebaker.  The R-3 engine in the car you are viewing was dyno tested at 404-hp at the time of restoration which is consistent with independent reports of the horse power available in the R-3 engine.  (You Tube video of dyno testing is available).  

Only 9 R-3 Avantis had been assembled at the Studebaker factory before closing their doors forever in December of 1963.  Upon delivery the original owner of the Avanti 5590 had ABC Motors, a Studebaker dealership in Tacoma, Washington, complete a conversion of his supercharged Avanti R-2 to factory R-3 specification. The Avanti 5590 is believed to be the first and possibly the only R-3 conversion performed at the point of sale by the original owner upon taking delivery.  The Granatelli Paxton Products full conversion including engine (#B-61), drivetrain, suspension components, and additional gauges was completed in December 1963 or January 1964.  Mr. Bez’s restoration work was completed to preserve originality of the conversion.

$89,000.00

Auto museums will be given preference if there is more than one buyer prior to sale.  Car is in Phoenix, Arizona.  Will pay for shipping in Continental U.S.  Contact D.J. @ 602-315-8006, 602-956-3237, djgaughan1@msn.com