AMT Studebaker Avanti

[keyser]

3 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

IMHO, Raymond Loewy, the Avanti designer, got it right...round headlights and all.

Every subsequent "improvement" was about as aesthetically successful as this:

I agree. Halibrands were factory option too. 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

53 minutes ago, Motor City said:

1963 had some greatly styled new cars with a restrained use of chrome: Riviera, Grand Prix, Corvette and Avanti.    Why can't we get a '63 Grand Prix model in 1/25th scale?

Agreed...understated elegance:     

[Motor City]

My aunt and uncle had a black on black '64 GP, but I liked the '63 a bit better.  The '62 GP was nice, too.  Once they started putting fender skirts on it (for '65-'68), I didn't like it so much. 

[Xingu]

Let’s keep the discussion focused on the Avanti. Please start another thread about the GP if you want to dive any deeper into their styling.

[espo]

22 hours ago, keyser said:

Late Avanti 2’s can be ugly with urethane bumpers. They did converts and a four-door iirc. 
This convert I found just now is pretty nice though. https://www.orlandoclassiccars.net/vehicles/160/1989-avanti-convertible

 

I agree that the urethane bumpers did little for the appearance of the Avanti. Part of this may have had to do with production costs and pending bumper regulations. The four-door body style may have been to broaden the market appeal.  

[Smoke Wagon]

We all have our own specific tastes. My favorite Avantis are the late II’s with urethane bumpers, specifically the convertibles.

Although I particularly enjoy seeing older designs modernized and reworked enough to be competitive with more contemporary designs, such as ‘90-‘93 Mustangs, ‘89-‘91 Grand Wagoneers, ‘90-‘93 Alfa Spiders, etc.

[keyser]

Agree. 4 door Avanti needs dark center post. Better than lots of others. 
Convert needs build attempt. Looks nice, chrome bumpers would slay

@Smoke Wagon

You posted that while I was distracted replying. Great looking car. May be better with urethane. 
This is fun car. https://www.motortrend.com/features/one-step-beyond-studebaker-avanti/amp/

Edited April 8, 2022 by keyser
Link

[Oldcarfan27]

Just the fact that the car continued for 30 years with hardly any changes says a ton about the original design. 

4 door version excepted. ?

[Mark]

Loewy's people included four-doors in their workups when he was pushing for Avanti styling to be adapted to the rest of the Studebaker line.  One non-running mockup was done with two-door styling on one side, four-door on the other as other manufacturers often did.  

[keyser]

@Mark https://studebaker-info.org/AVDB3/AVP/EX2932/ex2932.html

Link has the 3 door car. 
Heres couple period 4d and a 4 headlight pic. 

Edited April 8, 2022 by keyser

[Mark]

Might as well mention, if you are ever near South Bend you owe it to yourself to check out the Studebaker Museum.  The displays do cycle in/out, when I was there they had the Brooks Stevens prototype 1967 Sceptre coupe, the Packard Predictor, the last Stude built in South Bend, and the last one built in Hamilton. 

The horse drawn stuff is neat too.  They've got President Lincoln's carraige (not built by Studebaker), the ironwork on it is really neat.  They also had items manufactured by other South Bend companies.  It's definitely worth your time if you are in the area.

[Brian Austin]

Studebaker Museum in South Bend, IN.