Studebaker introduced the Avanti sports coupe in the spring of 1962 as a 1963 model. It was built on the frame of the Lark convertible, with a dramatic fiberglass body styled by industrial designer Raymond Loewy. The Avanti was intended as a "halo car" which would attract attention to Studebaker, and, when fitted with the optional high-performance supercharged engine, could justifiably
...Studebaker introduced the Avanti sports coupe in the spring of 1962 as a 1963 model. It was built on the frame of the Lark convertible, with a dramatic fiberglass body styled by industrial designer Raymond Loewy. The Avanti was intended as a "halo car" which would attract attention to Studebaker, and, when fitted with the optional high-performance supercharged engine, could justifiably claim to be the world's fastest production car.
When Studebaker closed its South Bend manufacturing plant, Nathan Altman, a South Bend Studebaker dealer, could not stand to see the Avanti die. He formed Avanti Motor Corporation with another Studebaker dealer, Leo Newman. Avanti Motors purchased the rights to the Avanti name and design, all of Studebaker's leftover Avanti parts, and a portion of the South Bend factory.
Avanti Motors introduced the "Avanti II" in 1965. Studebaker had closed its engine foundry, and its V-8 was no longer available, so Avanti Motors used Chevrolet 327 V-8 engines. This required some adjustments to the front frame and suspension; apart from this, the car was built to the original 1962 design. (Over the years, there were only a few design changes, most due to engine availability.) The cars were built to order, by hand, and the customer could specify any paint color and any interior upholstery available from any source.
Nathan Altman died in 1980, and Avanti Motors was sold to Stephen Blake in 1982. Under Blake's management, the build quality of the cars declined. Also, the stock of Lark convertible frames and other critical parts began to run out. The last Avanti IIs were produced in 1983.
From 1986 through 1992, a successor company built a second-generation Avanti in Youngstown, Ohio. This car was a re-bodied Chevrolet, and only outwardly resembled the original.
A third Avanti Motors began production in Georgia in 2001, and later moved to Mexico. It offers a convertible and a coupe, both of which are rebodied Ford Mustangs.
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