ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2023
- When you think of Studebaker, do you think of a mid-century modern masterpiece with a sleek design, aircraft-inspired interior, and a supercharged V8, or something a bit… frumpier?
The supercharged 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 was arguably the world’s first grand touring, executive muscle car, and it’s what happens when uncompromised vision works in tandem with engineering and ingenuity.
On this episode of TESTED Muscle, brought to you by American Collectors Insurance, Mike Musto explores if the Avanti R2 was a true American muscle car or a misunderstood design exercise from an automaker that was better known for pedestrian-style transportation.
Hemmings is the ultimate destination for finding your perfect ride. Head to Hemmings.com to register and start your search today or download our Hemmings marketplace app for Apple and Android devices.
Hemmings Marketplace - Studebaker Avanti: www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...
Article about Video: www.hemmings.com/stories/test...
Studebaker Avanti Buyers Guides and Articles:
www.hemmings.com/stories/arti...
www.hemmings.com/stories/arti...
www.hemmings.com/stories/2019...
www.hemmings.com/stories/arti...
www.hemmings.com/stories/musc...
@AmericanCollectorsInsurance
#musclecar #avanti #americancollectors #Studebaker #Hemmings #MuscleCars - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
My grandfather had an Avanti. I'm not sure it was an R2, but as a 7yr. old being driven back & forth to school, I was the 'cool kid'!
Sounds like a great memory!
Even the stance on it screams muscle 👍
Mark did a fabulous job with the restoration!
SIXTY years later, STILL looks futuristic!
Glad you like it!
Looking forward to the next episodes. Mike is the godfather of this type of content.
That is just a damn nice thing to say ... thank you!
The introduction was so spectacular in 1963 I rode my bicycle to the dealer in 1962 at age 12. I own a 64 R1 with a Chevrolet Zz4 4 spd. Definitely an all time favorite ❤❤
Engine swap ruined it. The rare car with the belly button engine!
I was a high school senior in 1963. The first time I saw this car (in a magazine) I fell in love and have been in love since.
Wow. This is Mike in his Element. And I never wanted an Avanti, but now, ffs, I want one.
What an outstanding example of a Studebaker Avanti ! Just pristine everywhere you look. Fantastic styling is still current all these many decades later ! Thanks for featuring this great Milestone car. 👍
Thank you for the support! 😀
always loved the look of these things, and man that stance is killer.
Bad ass right?
While a stock Studebaker Avanti has some rake, and that is even touted in the marketing, this has way extra rake due to tire size choices. And possibly suspension changes.
I had an elementary school chum whose dad owned a Studebaker dealership Richard Motors in Wapping Connecticut. Even at age 8 or 9 when I first saw the Avanti, I knew it was something very special. Exterior styling, interior design, gauges, controls, etc. so beautifully executed!
It still looks amazing!
Liked those since I first saw one on the road - this one is exceptional. Interesting to note that after Studebaker exited auto manufacturing, the Avanti lived on. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for the support!
Thanks for watching!
After 28 years of dreaming of this car... i finally own one!!
You are going to find many people say, "What is that?" Others will remember it well. On mine, I have the license plate "A 64 WHAT" which doesn't give people any help identifying it.
@@trainliker100 I attended my first car show with the Avanti, and found it so fun educating people of the history, the speed records and all the quirks the car has, there are only 2 Avanti's in my entire county, and i own 1!! It is such a blast to drive. And yes i do get it all the time What is it? Its also amazing to meet other Avanti lovers. Thanks for keeping another one of my dream cars on the road!
In 1964 I just bought a beautiful 1959 Impala Sport Coup. Short story it came with the 335 horse 348 engine along with factory 4- speed. I thought the 348 was very quick for the day untill I stop light raced one of these Avanti's. 1st gear out in front shifting at 6,000 rpm, going to 2nd gear and the Avanti is now just pulling past me. Very humbling experience for me loosing to a Studebaker of all cars. Much respect for them, now that I know a few things.
I love them, growing up I always wanted one. Beautiful design. 🇺🇸👍
Right on, they're awesome!
Fantastic Mike. It's very good to see you back at it.
Really appreciate that, thank you!
Love these super charged Studes!
Still one of the best looking cars ever made! I really miss mine! The Avanti IIs with their Cheys couldn't match the real one's killer rake! That's how you tell them apart from the drive by!
Noted!
A stock Studebaker Avanti doesn't have nearly as much rake as the one in the video. This one has extra rake due to tire size choices and perhaps suspension changes. But it is true that the Avanti II and later had less rake than the Studebaker. They had to raise the front of the car up about two inches to make room for the Chevy engines. Besides having less rake, it is quite noticeable in the distance between the top of the front wheel wells and the tops of the fender blades. Much fatter in the later Avanti's.
We just got one as a gift and it's in supreme condition. My brother calls it Stanford Red. Soon to be at the show in club events in the SF Bay area. So grateful and happy❤❤
I'm in the Bay - hopefully I'll get a chance to see it!
If it is an original Studebaker Avanti paint color, it is "Avanti Red" which is a somewhat subdued red a little on the darker side. Not a bright red.
The First time I saw an Avanti , I just felt GobSmacked! Stunning...and this one makes me fall in Love again!
What made you initially fall in love with them?
An amazing car that holds a special place in American vehicle history. I have always loved this car. What an incredible example. Great show Mike!
Thank you Sir!
Go Musto go! Excellent episode, liked everything except for the theme song that played when the show title hit the screen.
Thank you!
It had a Lark Convertible X-Frame . The door latches were stainless Dove tail intregal to become part of the frame. Check your figures on top speed. Andy Granitelli on the Salt Flats
They used cone style door lock hardware from Mercedes. Much safer than the usual American car lock scheme. Also, (little known fact) at the time, they were the exclusive distributor of Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. and Canada.
Fun Avanti Trivia: The 1997 movie "GATTACA" (starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurmon, and Jude Law) is a movie about how DNA might be involved in future society. They didn't have the budget to creature futuristic car designs. So, they used some old cars they thought looked futuristic. The Avanti and the Citroen DS Cabriolet. Ethan Hawke, principal character, drove an Avanti. But they made it "electric."
Cette vidéo est d'une facture exemplaire pour qui souhaiterait admirer le modèle phare de l'ancienne marque STUDEBAKER désigné par Raymond Loewy en 1962 . Bravo !
Actually, designed in 1961.
Nice ride and nice to see you Mike.
Finally a reason to subscribe to the hemmings channel
Thank you, and just wait, we've Hemmings has A LOT more great programming coming!
The Avanti is like cilantro: you love it or hate it, no in-between.
🤣Not wrong...
So good to finally see you get back to what you do best, Mike - muscle car reviews!
Thank you!
If Howard Hughes had designed a car of this era, it might look a lot like this.........
Totally agree
Right on Mike, excellent episode! Looking forward to many more pal.
Thanks for watching and the support!
And they are on the way - thank you!
Tbh. I'd love to experience or for anyone to experience a factory Paxton supercharged car. I'm happy for whoever owns one, so cool.
Happy to see you back!! Not my favorite car though😢 I would have loved to see some mopar for the first episode.
You'd think I'd film a muscle car show without a MOPAR - hang tight... it's coming.
AWESOME!!!
Regarding Seatbelts. The industry was going through a transition at the time with Jan 1, 1964, being the date the front were required (rear would also be required later in the decade). At first seatbelts were an option. Then, they became standard but there two new options which were "Seatbelts - front left and right uninstalled" and "Seatbelts - rear left and right uninstalled." Yes, they had seatbelt delete options because there were still people thinking they could be dangerous (the old "trapped in a burning car" belief).
HIS DAD MUST BE PROUD OF HIM AND HIS OLD CAR. VERY NICE!!
We would agree!
Musto doing what Musto needs to be doing!
Agreed! 😎👍
Gorgeous
I own an Avanti ll1982 with a stock Chevy 305 V8, I thought mine was in great shape but seeing this I envy ! Thanks
Right on! What color is your Avanti?
White, loaded I paid $ 16,000 in December, put about $5,000 to fix problems . It's a real head turner for sure, no rust, daily driver 120,000 miles
White@@hemmingsmotornews
Late 70s just a kid and a friend of mine's older brother had one of these, with the supercharger. His had a 4 speed. With 3 of us in the car he did a burnout through first and second gear. Up til then I didn't think a car could do that.
Thanks for sharing!
So timeless, it still looks good in 2023. In 1962 no car built in 1901 would still look timeless. In the 64 model the interior changed and had wood inserts in the dash, and this car appears to have a 64 steering wheel.
It looks so modern, designed state of the art. It is a few years older than me and I don't look that good. Cheers from Canada.
Thank you! Cheers!
One of my favourite cars.😊
Whats your favorite feature about it?!
somehow it just screams ELECTRIC! Bring it back!
Own the early addition of this car, a 1957 Golden Hawk, 289 Supercharged, 3 sp. with overdrive. Metallic Blue, white fins!!
The number rust problem on these is the "hog troughs" which is the nickname for sheet metal torque boxes affixed to the frame to help stiffen it. The CAN be replaced but it is a big job. California cars and such tend to be in good shape. Cars where they have winter and salt the roads, often not so much.
I like the stance it has.
Me too
Halibrand wheels? I've never seen them, meaning this particular model style.
They were a dealer authorized accessory in 1963/64. December, 1963, Motor Trend magazine test drove a 1964 Studebaker Commander two door sedan, factory equipped with the same R2 engine as in this car and four speed - they also had these same style Halibrand wheels to test with.
The rake of this particular car is more than normal, although the Studebaker Avanti did have a noticeable rake that was even a market boast. But not that much. I guess the rear tires are oversize, maybe the front undersize. Not sure about the front. A stock Avanti has the same size tires all around.
Good to see you back on the screen Mike!
Thank you 🙏
If only they used the front end off of the Scepter show car, it would have given the car so much more class.
I have a feeling Studebaker designers had a different headlight design for the Avanti and just ran out of time and stuck those round ones in.
That is entirely possible!
No. There were some sketches with dual headlights, but the round bezels were settled on early on. And it wasn't exactly Studebaker designers. it was Raymond Loewy who put together a team of three people. One young guy from the outside named Tom Kellogg who did most of the design, and Bob Andrews and John Ebstein from Studebaker. Studebaker President Sherwood Egbert did NOT want Studebaker to design this. And Raymond Loewy did NOT want Studebaker people (other than two he included) meddling and rented a house in Palm springs for the design team to work - far away from Studebaker prying eyes.
The Halibrand wheels shown here were an option. And a very rarely ordered one. Most had steel wheels with full size wheel covers that were redesigned from a more plain design used on an earlier Studebaker model. Original Halibrand wheels can be dangerous to use as they may crack due to aging of the alloy. Reproductions have been made which are better to use. I don't know which is on this car.
What is going on with those rear tires?
An interesting detail of this fairly early 1963 car is that the "gunsight" is smooth all the way to the windshield. They had been having trouble with the transmission tunnel getting so hot in automatics that it was uncomfortable to touch the metal shift knob. So, they added a little vent just in front of the windshield that was the same style as the longer vent which is for the cabin. But this small vent had air routing to the transmission tunnel to keep things cooler. Another tidbit is that the automatic, unlike the similar one used in Mustangs, Cougars, and such, only used 2nd and 3rd when in drive. Not using 1st was considered a safety feature as it really just promotes spinning wheels on wet or icy roads and isn't needed for normal driving. When some first test drive or buy a Studebaker Avanti, they might think something is wrong. But this is normal.
The second gear start thing was a Studebaker management botcherooo. Ford had a cruiseomatic which was B-W like the Stude transmission but had both selections for 1st OR second gear start.
Back in 56 Stude management dropped the automatic B-W trans first gear start and ONLY had second gear start for V8s thereafter.
DUMB. Safety features wasn't the real reason for second start. Some Stude management influence felt that the "whine" in first gear was objectionable and the one-two shift was harsh. Again DUMB. B-W would have
Rectified both issues, they did and Ford used it for their cars. Fordomatic went -- cruiseomatic replaced it.
Stude management just chose to be DUMB.
Converted my 64 Daytona auto 259 to first gear start 20 years ago. Completely different
Performing car. Operated from then forward as it SHOULD
Have done from the factory in 60s.
In 63 tv ads the company touted the Studebaker "performance" image.
Then potential buyers test drove a
V8 auto and.... Blah
No pickup no power.
Hmmmm guess I'll go down the street to big 3 and buy my car.
Just one of many Stude botcheroos where management shot the company in the foot over and over again.
Nuther example. The 56 hawk beat the Vette bird AND 300 in performance,period.
So in 57 with the SC 289 they stick in a 2 BBL carb. Now it loses top dog status. DUMB again.
As a side note, today Stude Hawks with SC engines from
57-8 aren't allowed to run at pure stock drags bcuz they aren't 4 BBL carbs.
Nuther example. No Stude 4 speed trans available until 1961. DUMB again.
Nuther example. No hardtops marketed from 56-57.
And on and on.
Stude management finally ran out of feet to shoot.
@@vernanderson4358 Well, I have to both agree, and disagree a little. I checked with Avanti experts (I own R5586 myself) and researched Studebaker's history with B-W which goes back to the very early 1950's and the B-W DG transmission. I do NOT agree that the 2nd gear start idea was "dumb." The marketplace seemed to have an expectation of buttery smooth operation and complained if it was otherwise. A 1st gear start with the 3 speed just wasn't smooth - at least then (especially when people compared it to 2 speed transmissions at the time). 1st was there for hills, or a "quick getaway" was the thinking at the time and that is not unreasonable. Smooth operation for most driving, more power when you needed it, certainly seemed to fit the driving public's sensitivity AT THE TIME. (Some Avanti owners actually routinely drive by manually starting in 1st for their "quick getaway".) This 2nd gear start was not universal at Studebaker as at some point they had 2nd gear start in V8's and 1st gear starts in sixes. It is arguable that at some point they could have just had 1st gear start and done fine, but I somewhat doubt it really lost them sales. Any dealer would have surely explained how to use 1st gear in one of the things during a test drive. Even the Avanti owner's manual explains this as "For maximum acceleration, start with the lever in '1' and manually upshift to '2' and to 'D'..." The 2nd gear start transmission scheme then found its way to Jaguar and, especially, Mercedes. While it does make for safer driving on slippery roads and had been touted as a feature, I agree with you that wasn't the primary reason for it, if it was a reason at all.
@@trainliker100 my Avanti is 5305 about 350 from end of production. Yours very late towards the end .
I still use the word dumb for a simple reason. It wasn't necessary to go backwards in mid 56 to second gear start. And more than
Many people feel exactly as I in that respect..
Even powerglide 2 speed at LEAST started in a low range. People had the "PERCEPTION"of performance. Getting mass moving is a product of either hi torque or mechanical advantage. Stude small V8 torque and second gear start provided only one thing . Dead dog performance.
Add to that the 3;07 standard v8 auto combination in the last years and startup was pathetic. Have ridden or driven and owned Studes since 1953 at age 6. Three tree od utilized the small V8 power curve effectively. The 2nd
Gear bw auto did NOT. First gear start in 6O-64 era combined with a,2:87 rear end would have provided BOTH a better performing car and a slight much needed increase
In mileage. IE best of both worlds.
I would venture a guess that 90+% of dealers never gave a hoot about educating the manipulating of the transmission manually . This trans decision WAS
Dumb as so many other management decisions were as well..cars were never the problem at Studebaker.( Example: a lady who bought a Tesla stopped for her first " fill-up" but couldn't figure out where to put the gas station gas hose in to fill the gas tank. Think that dealer did a good job of sales person ship?? Think it was better 60+ years ago??
Very poor management, dealers that held out for full margins,( many Stude dealers would rather lose a sale
Than take a reduced margin of profit ,meanwhile a Chev dealer would negotiate a lower sale price and then sell 10 cars. Rule of retail is
Is margin AND number of turns. Reduced sales by Stude dealers meant factory slow downs, costly production costs, higher cost from vendors due to small parts orders, and the backup list goes on and on.) grossly overpaid UAW
Line workers and lack of quality advertising top the list.
1961-63 era ,for example, had clowns
Jumping around Stude cars . Yup a buying public becoming aware of new found sophistication in society must have really enjoyed watching clowns , thereby associating Studebakers with a car of folly.
You've heard of the old phrase " planned
Obsolescence ? Stude management either purposefully or inadvertently succeeded in that skill set post ww2 forward. Sorry but most Stude people have never given serious thought nor
A cursory consideration to the actual debauchery from ,52 forward.
Stude fans passionate about our beloved Studebakers simply isolate themselves from the ugly realities of the last 12 years of
Disaster. There are real answers to the demise of auto production but they are not welcomed in discussion. At 76 years of age and an ardent fan of Studes beyond the likes of even the"important"
Studebaker named people, I personally prefer
The truth of "actuality/reality".
@@vernanderson4358 I could dispute at least some of the points you have made. But there is one term you have completely misused as have many others. "Planned Obsolescence" does not have the meaning you are implying. Nowadays, many use it as you have used it, and many places even define it as making shoddy products meant to wear out quickly. That is not it. The term was coined by designer Brooks Stevens (who I'm sure you know did design work for Studebaker - but that is not relevant). It means to change a design in appearance, and perhaps no functional change whatsoever, to get the customer to buy a new product to replace their still perfectly good old one. In Steven's own words, "Instilling in the buyer the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is necessary."
@@vernanderson4358 Regarding: The truth of "actuality/reality". Fair enough. I am well aware of the actions of post war Studebaker management. Everything from labor troubles and strikes at the worst possible time to the distractions of diversification. And I have no doubt that management mistakes hastened the end of Studebaker. But they were not the root cause. That was due to management way back before the managers you lambaste started wearing long pants. Studebaker automotive was never able to gain a large market share. Eventually, that leads to doom UNLESS you are able to perpetually service some niche specialty market. And they didn't. They competed in the general automotive market. Highly competitive. So... It gets to the point where the "Big Three" are spending maybe 7% of their revenue on marketing and 7% on new engineering. ALL of Studebaker's revenue was less than that. So, Studebaker could not afford much engineering, marketing, or dealership support, or numbers of dealers, or being attractive to top talent, and on and on. It was only a matter of time until Studebaker became a victim of a typical industry "shake out" where smaller players simply cannot continue to compete as a mathematical impossibility. It is not unusual in a market for about three. or perhaps a few more, players to end up with all the market share at some point. As an Avanti owner, I'm sure you know the car was built from the existing parts bin with an old (and heavy) 1951 engine design (really basically Cadillac's 1949 design). Yes, very fresh styling and a number of interesting details here and there, but underneath, a pretty old Studebaker. Throw on a supercharger (cheapest way they good get more horsepower) and they had at least some things they could crow about. They had their "halo car" and it worked. People came to the dealerships where they were supposed to buy Larks and such. But they didn't buy because they Saw Studebaker as small, on the way out, and didn't want to be stuck with a car with no support. The company's life was perhaps shortened some by "The Board", and perhaps lengthened some by the sheer willpower of Sherwood Egbert. But the die was cast long ago and the only difference that "The Board", or Egbert or anyone for that matter, could have really made was whether its closure would likely be early, mid, or late 1960's. And they weren't very ripe for a buyout because they didn't really have anything another car company wanted. Old technology. Small market share. Products that had been at one time been leaders in a market segment, like the Lark, which quickly became just a "me too" product with more attractive alternatives. Aging facilities. And nothing else because Studebaker held on to everything else they had acquired. So, it didn't really matter how bad or good "The Board" or "Egbert" were. The last years make for some good story telling and I'm especially amused by the "What Would Have Saved Studebaker" type of article. (Answer - nothing.). And the "lipstick on a pig" Avanti and 289 V8 horsepower upgrades are especially fun, and I enjoy mine. But I know what it is. Studebaker's fate was sealed rather early on in its automotive foray.
Nice car. The only thing I can say negtuive is the back is a bit too high. I have a 64 R-1
I also noticed the rake was excessive. (And I also have a 1964 R-1 SN 5586.) There is a good side view of the car at about 9:14 into the video. The rear tires look like an oversize outside diameter and the front tires might have a smaller outside diameter than normal - but not sure aobut that. It is possible the suspension was also changed a little.
Why no mention of the R3 which had the 289 pushed out to a full 5.0 liters at 304.5 cubic inches and which is what Andy Granitelli drove at Bonneville Salt Flats? Bidirectional flying miles at 178 mph, and a one way after he retuned it which exceeded 200 mph.
My parents brought me home in a 1946 Studebaker Champion and we had a 51 two door, a 52 four door and a new 1960 Lark wagon. I was a senior in high school before our family had another brand of cars...and also when my parents bought their first television set.
Thanks for sharing!
Ooops slight errors herein.
The R3 Avanti at Bonneville achieved a two way average record breaking speed of 170+ MPH in 63. During part of it's multimile run it topped 178.5 mph.
NOT 200.
However an experimental R5 Avanti DID achieve 198 MPH with a 304.5 cube engine (all Studebaker NOT Ford,producing around 600 HP. Had the Bonneville torrential rain soaked terrain been dry, that R5 was capable of 220 MPH according to dyno results. Which means that experimental Avanti was capable of being 80 MPH FASTER than ANY Corvette for decades to come. Stude WAS the performance leader,styling leader,safety leader and braking leader in the sixties. Meanwhile the big 3 sat on their duffs and had to be DRAGGED into the modern era of all those areas by none other than??? Yes Studebaker. Shameful.
And between 1949 and 2012 Studebaker was the ONLY car and manufacturer to EVER make the world's FASTEST production car. Those years??
NO BIG 3 EVER DID SO.
NONE.
The car that got all the records touted, and had the 168 mph two-way run, was a 299 CID R3. This is a 0.060 over bore and Studebaker stocked 0.060 over pistons as a standard replacement part. This was the most Studebaker could go - at that time - and have it be in the C Production class instead of C Prototype class. The 304.5 R3 came later and is what was put into factory produced and sold cars (but only nine of them). And, due to this, could run in the C production class which had to stay under 5 liters. Studebaker denoted the two R3 engine sizes as "A" (299) and "B" (304.5). The R5 was one factory 304.5 car with twin superchargers. In a paper submitted to the Society of Automotive Engineers, Studebaker reported it had 638 hp (some online references say 575 hp, but I'll trust the paper submitted to the SAE). The R5 had a 196 mph best two-way run, but they were dealing with a wet surface due to rain and that seemed to hurt them a little. There was also an R4 engine which was a normally aspirated 304.5 with two 4 bbl carbs. No Avanti was ever ordered with one. But one Lark was.
Slight update or correction. The R3 did make an honest 178.5 mph during part of the record two way run of 170+ mph average.
But the R5 experimental 304.5 only achieved 196, (or per Granatellis telling 198 MPH) not the R3.
Later on about 1987-88 era Ron Hall did push a R3 version to over 200 mph, but no R3 did so in 62-63 era.
Unless there is another car with that front end my Father had one, he sold it to get a Dart Swinger which burned to the ground a couple of months later.
Pretty car - Muscle Car...Not for me
I miss big muscle and house of muscle
🙏
It had the feel of both.
The term MC can be applied to this Avanti ,yes. But a better term is pony car. It was the ORIGINAL pony 2 full years ahead of the mustang. Ford bought disassembled reassembled one of the very first Avantis ( also used a newly introduced xke)
As models for the upcoming mustang .
And yes that is FIRST
Hand knowledge I was personally told from the Ford museum personal.( Have picture of both those cars in the Ford design studio lot ala1963).
You might say ( direct from the horses mouth)
But whether you call the Avanti a MC or pony,you would need to rule out more such cars from Studebaker from 1956 and forward. The Hawks and super larks predated the come lately big 3 cars of such designation by a
Full decade. 4 passenger, long front, short rear deck and hi performance were all done by Studebaker long before big three
Ever conceived ponies or MC's
Gives new meaning to the adage...best doesn't always win
While I think this is a wonderfully well-preserved Avanti,
the jacked-up rear end with oversized tires just rubs me
the wrong way. The wheels aren't right, either.
I hope the rear suspension hasn't been modified TOO
much to easily put back to correct and "normal".
Also, Loewy didn't design this car. He hired three guys
who were designers and put them in a rented house
somewhere and gave them parameters. THEY are the
ones who did the design but with Raymond's input.
Dan in Bangor
Dan the rake makes the wheels rear look oversize but they aren't. The rims WERE optional mags 1964 from factory.$ 280 option.
Were suspension options including HD springs shocks etc. R3 engine option made it the world's FASTEST production car in 1963-64 era. From 1949-2012 ONLY USA car and manufacturer to EVER make that list . NO Big 3 ever made it those 60 + years
II guess the rear tire is a larger then normal outside diameter and the front may be a smaller than normal outside diameter - not sure. These use 15 inch wheels, by the way. The best side view is at about 9:14 into the video.
As mentioned, those wheels WERE an option. But one very rarely purchased. They are Halibrand wheels and original ones are somewhat hazardous to use. With age, the alloy used is at risk of cracking. Very nice reproductions have been made. I don't know if they are original or reproduction on this car. I hope - reproduction.
The Studebaker Avanti R2 did NOT go 168 mph. It was more like 140 mph. The 168 mph Avanti was an R3. Specifically, bored out to 299 CID and with a lot of other mods to get 335 hp. They only went to 299 CID to stay in the production class C because that was bored 0.060 over and 0.060 over pistons were a standard Studebaker replacement part. Otherwise, they would have had to run in the prototype Class C. Studebaker called the 299 R3's the "A" engines. They then developed the R3 into a 304.5 CID (still in class C for displacement) and that became the engine for production cars (only nine were made). Studebaker called the 304.5 R3's the "B" engines.
Beautiful car, but I'd want a manual transmission.
That would be cool! Would be fun.
Reading the comments.
Lotsa smart people .
Big three execs not happy campers on the publicity in 62-3.
You think Stude failed all on its own??
Think again.plenty of " outside " help folks.
Errors and corrections
One- production was actually
4643 Total.
Dear belts WERE standard. This car had them removed- ??
Top speed was 158 for the R2
But the R3 Avanti was 170+ MPH. 400 HP.0-60 under6 seconds. Quarter mile 13s at
107 MPH.
Seat belts standard in ALL 1963 Studebaker line.
USA average car stopped in 175-200 feet from road speed . Avanti 125 feet.
Many more features too lengthy to cover here.
More research needed to do justice on presenting this car.
ONLY USA car and company to make the world's fastest production car between 1949-2012. NO big 3 ever those years.
At first, seat belts were an option for the Avanti. Option 84 was front seatbelts. Later, they made front and rear seatbelts standard, but had an option to delete the front seatbelts and an option to delete the rear seatbelts. The entire notion of seatbelts was in transition during that period. Studebaker was somewhat ahead of the industry when they made them standard. But some people still feared them (the "you get trapped inside a burning car" argument) so they had the delete options. On Jan 1, 1964, the feds required all cars to have front seatbelts, later in the decade rear seatbelts were also required. No more "seatbelt delete" options allowed.
Called "the fastest production car in the world" upon its introduction, a modified Avanti reached over 170 mph (270 km/h) with its supercharged 289-cubic-inch (4,740 cm3) R3 engine at the Bonneville Salt Flats. In all, it broke 29 world speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
The R3'S were either 299 cubes early or 304.5 cubes by later 1963. Not 289 cubers
Two way record runs in Oct 63 yielded 170+ mph BUT at one point in the multi mile run it topped at 178.5 MPH.
NO foreign or domestic big 3 could even THINK of that at mid sixties . Vette only touching that for couple of decades . Calloway vettes could break that but only 20-25 years LATER.
The experimental R5 topped 198 MPH not equalled by big 3 for decades as well. And ALL from a 15 yo engine design of 5 litres. Big three humiliated in 63-64
Model years
@@vernanderson4358 Spot on !
The one that set all the "29 records" touted, and the 168 mph two-way run, WAS a 299 CID R3. That was 0.060 bored over and 0.060 over pistons were a standard Studebaker replacement part. So the car could run int he C Production class instead of C prototype. Later, Studebaker upped it to 304.5 and went into production (just nine Avantis were ordered with the R3) and then that could be run int he C production class as it was still under 5 liters. Studebaker called the 299 and 304.5 R3 versions "A" engines and "B" engines. Also, there were a lot of other engine upgrades from the R1 and R2 289 engines to the R3 (and R4, and the one Factory R5) than just a displacement increase.
Again folks it was not a 289 but the 304.5 cuber that reached 170+ mph average.
(The early version mule was a 299 bored out version in 62 that ran 168+ MPH.)
170+ record tin was the 304.5 bored out
Block. Aug and October63.
Nicest car Europeans didn't make!
That is very true.
I have my doubts about that top speed figure, 158 MPH. Were the hemi's, 409's and 427 Fords?Maybe they removed a spark plug during this run-off? Nice little roll bar, Its ashamed that if the car rolled and you were thrown out, that roll bar wouldn't make much difference.
It might be one for that occasional executive that wants to go fast. Nice car.
Those cars were all dogs. The Avanti was way faster at Bonneville
The one that set the touted records at Bonneville, including the 168 mph best two-way run, was not an R2 Avanti. It was an R3 engine. Specifically, bored out 0.060 over to 299 CID. That is the most they could do, at that time, and still be in the C Production class because 0.060 pistons were a standard Studebaker replacement part. Studebaker denoted the the 299's as R3 "A" engines. Later, they moved up to 304.5 CID, that was used in the nine production R3 cars they sold, and they could then run that in the C Production class (still under 5 liters). Studebaker denoted the 304.5' s as R3 "B" engines. An R2 has about a 140 mph top speed. R1 about 120 mph. One factory R5 car with twin superchargers had a best two way run of 196 mph. They also had an R4 which was a normally aspirated 304.5 but with two 4 bbl carbs.and 280 hip. No Avanti was ordered with one, but one Lark was.
I have to believe that the awful name “”Studebaker” had something to do with the demise of the company. It really sounds like a temporary name.
Yeah, it's not overly attractive.
Named after the Studebaker brothers. The company was founded in 1852 making wheelbarrows and such. They graduated to wagons and became the largest wagon manufacturer in the world. Lincoln wen to Ford Theater in a Studebaker carriage. For a "temporary" name, it certainly was around for a long time. The demise of the company was from a number of bad decisions by the Board of Directors, a strike at just the wrong time, and such. But all that only delayed the inevitable. The root problem was small size meaning there was not enough revenue to fund very much engineering and marketing. The "Big Three" would pump about 7% of their revenue into each of those areas and that was more than ALL of Studebaker's revenue. Just like American Motors and many others, too small to compete and eventually there was an industry "shake out" that happens in many industries for the same reasons.
It had average top speed of 178 mph... not 158 my guy
168 mph was the best two-way run when all those Bonneville records were set with a 299 CID version of the R3 engine. (This was prior to their making it a 304.5 CID.)
@@trainliker100 the actual best run was higher. The "two way run" numbers were averages.
@@NeuKrofta "Best runs" don't go into the record books. Only a two-way average counts and can be a record. The statement "it had average top speed of 178 mph" is simply incorrect. No R3 runs at Bonneville, ever, had an average of 178.
Mr. Zickelfoose - please drive it, at least a little every month, out of respect for her. She needs the exercise. Your Dad wouldn't mind.
We fully agree - he'd be proud
Not driving this car is like having the most beautiful wife ever, and all you do is look at her.🙄. The stance of this car just seems wrong. Looks like a jacked up heap from the seventies.
It absolutely does NOT look like a jacked up heap...
I never liked the name or style...
... that's okay, we dig it.
Ha Ha not the first with disc brakes... 1949 Crosley, the first U.S. production car to be equipped with modern 4 wheel disc brakes. For being first, Crosley earns an honorable mention in the history books. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
He said, "mass produced." True the Crosley was the first. And 4-wheel at that. For only a little over one year due to corrosion problems. Then back to drums. Chrysler also had disk brakes earlier from 1949 to 1953 but they were not a caliper style. And instead, a "spot" type. Standard on the Imperial, and a very expensive over $400 option on other models (over $5,000 in today's money).