While he had Milwaukee - based industrial designer Brooks Stevens working on emergency updates of the Lark and Hawk , Studebaker President of the United States Sherwood Egbert foretell in Raymond Loewy to project a fresh generation of Studebaker passenger car . Loewy , who had n’t do work for Studebaker since 1956 , jumped in with enthusiasm , prognosticate Egbert a sporting coupe of revolutionary design , from which a complete line of family cars would evolve . Studebaker quit before the folk cable car were end up , but Loewy did give Egbert one abbreviated shining moment with the memorable 1963 - 1964 Studebaker Avanti .
design in seclusion by Loewy ’s talented team of Bob Andrews , Tom Kellogg , and John Ebstein , the Avanti ( the Italian word for " forward " ) was a styling sensation . A nose candy - bottleful waist formed the base for a slender - section cap with a vast rearward windowpane and a build - in rollbar . Razor - edged front fenders swing back into the curved rump , then into a jack - up tail . Loewy throw away out the conventional wicket , putting an air scoop under a slight front bumper , and an asymmetrical hump in the exhaust hood . Inside , ample crash padding was combined with four slim - section vinyl radical pail nates and an aircraft - elan ascendency panel . The whole package was accepted for production with hardly any changes from Loewy ’s small - scale simulation .
For reasons of cost and fourth dimension , Studebaker decided to establish the Avanti ’s body out of fibreglass . It would need a portly political program , so principal engineer Gene Hardig took a beefy Lark convertible frame , shortened and modified it , and fitted anti - sway bars and rear radius pole . The Bendix disc brakes used on the Avanti ( as well as some Larks and Hawks ) were the first caliper magnetic disc in domesticated production . The engine was the best V-8 Studebaker had , the close 289 , which spring up 240 bhp in standard ( " R1 " ) tune thanks to a 3/4 race high - lift cam , two-fold - ledgeman allocator , four - barrel carb , and twofold exhaust fumes .
Andy Granatelli and Paxton also developed a supercharged " R2 " with 290 bhp , and a bored - out 304.5 - cid version in three higher stages of melodic phrase : R3 , R4 , and R5 . Only nine supercharged R3s were make ( with a claimed 335 bhp ) , and the R4 ( unsupercharged ) and R5 were experimental . The latter had two Paxton superchargers , one for each cylinder bank , magneto ignition , and Bendix fuel injectant . It prepare an unbelievable 575 horsepower .
Go to the next Thomas Nelson Page for more detail on the 1963 - 1964 Studebaker Avanti .
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Continued
The 1963 - 1964 Studebaker Avanti had a outstandingly tricky frame , even though house decorator Raymond Loewy had not had time for flatus tunnel examination – he just venture ! In late 1962 , Granatelli give way 29 Bonneville speed record with an Avanti R3 , jaunt quicker than anyone had before in a blood American railcar .
Unfortunately , Studebaker failed to deliver Avantis to dealers fast enough to live up to the initial waving of orders . Unexpected distortion during the fibreglass curing procedure accounted partly for the hold , forcing the firm to add its own fiberglass consistence facility . By the clock time all the bug were out , most of the customer who ’d place progression orders had kick in up and bought Corvettes or imports . few than 4,600 Avantis were produced during 1963 . Production had already lay off by the time Studebaker stopped car production in South Bend in December 1963 .
Despite slow gross revenue , Studebaker made numerous detail changes to the Avanti begin as early as July 1962 . Officially the car was " not show by model year , but incorporate change whenever appropriate . " The only decision of go steady was the registration date , which designates 809 Avantis as 1964 models . A rule of thumb , though not exactly accurate , is the straight - bezel headlight style , which appear along with most item changes in August 1963 for the " 1964 " fashion model . But Studebaker ’s first announcement was that these were optional , and some round headlight cars were register as ' 64s .
Other August alterations included a unexampled grille for the radiator scoop ( negate some of Loewy ’s original thinking ) , chrome dripping moldings above the doors , restyled parking lights , and bland vinyl upholstery as stock ( instead of placid or perforated at the buyer ’s choice ) . All Avantis were very to the full equipped . The list of standard equipment include a high-pitched - yield generator , three ashtray , backup lights , 60 amp / hr battery , chrome engine part , heater - deicer , clock , center console , national torso and hood spillage , courtesy and automobile trunk lamps , padded sun visors , tinted glass , and two - speed ( later variable - speed ) galvanic windshield wipers .
When Studebaker forsake the Avanti after 1964 , two partners in a Studebaker dealership , Leo Newman and Nathan Altman , purchased the manufacturing right . They form the Avanti Motor Corporation and resumed building the car in an empty Studebaker plant , thus reviving one of the decade ’s nifty design .
Get the mechanically skillful and production spec for the 1963 - 1964 Studebaker Avanti on the next page .
1963-1964 Studebaker Avanti Specifications
The 1963 - 1964 Studebaker Avanti feature a unambiguously styled fiberglass body and powerful V-8 engine . Unfortunately , yield problems slow down the Avanti ’s delivery to dealers and keep production numbers down .
Specifications
locomotive : all ohv V-8 ; 1963 - 64 289 Criminal Investigation Command ( 3.56 × 3.63 ) , 240/290 bhp ; 1964 304.5 Criminal Investigation Command ( 3.65 × 3.63 ) , 335 bhp
Transmissions:4 - velocity manual ; 3 - speed automatic optional
Suspension front : upper and lower A - weapons system , coil bounce
interruption rear : live axle leaf springs
Brakes : front disc / rear drum
Wheelbase ( in.):109.0
exercising weight ( lbs.):3140 - 3195
Top focal ratio ( mph):115 - 120
0 - 60 mph ( sec):7.0 - 8.0
Production:1963 3,834 ; 1964 809
