What draw the 1965 - 1969 Avanti II so singular ? Not many cars get a 2nd probability at life after the original manufacturer expires .
When Studebaker left its tenacious - fourth dimension home at South Bend , Indiana , early on in 1964 , to make a terminal knife thrust at success up in Ontario , the futurethinkAvantiseemed destine after a simple two - year existence .
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After the Canadian speculation fizzled in 1966 , the Avanti should by all logic have been deadened , if not forget . Even the neat cars , after all , can not survive unless someone opt to make them .
Leo Newman and Nathan ( Nate ) Altman , long - time partners in a South Bend Studebaker - Packard franchise , had a great feeling – and wound up saving the dramatically different coupe from extinction .
Not only did the two buy the rights to the Avanti name and its industry , they buy a share of an abandon Studebaker manufactory , mold a make - new Avanti Motor Corporation .
Late in 1965 , production began at the revitalized plant on Lafayette Avenue , with a end of building 300 Avanti IIs yearly . That destination never was reached , but the Avanti stayed alive through the sixties and 1970s , and even beyond the 1980s .
Such success is all the more surprising when you view that the original Avanti was n’t on the nose a red-hot seller . aid it drew , enhancingStudebaker’simage ; but as other manufacturers also have learned , sales do n’t needs follow achievement on the race course or record - setting 170 - miles per hour jaunts .
Had the original Avanti been made of steel rather of fibreglass , its Christ’s Resurrection might have been impossible . Using physical structure panels supplied by the Molded Fiber Glass Body Company and a mini assembly line , the revive Avantis could be built for a reasonable cost .
Spread along that line were a innkeeper of former Studebaker employee , uncoerced to work for modest wages in exchange for an chance to turn out custom - built athletics - luxury touring cars .
Not only did Avanti compile an pick list that would be the enviousness of rival automakers , but a customer could dicker for just about anything his or her heart desired .
people of colour ? The rainbow was the limit . Fabrics ? Just about anything that could be sewn into seats might be ordered – with stitchwork performed by a former Studebaker craftsman .
Naturally , Avanti had to forsake the original gas constant - serial Studebakerengines , turning to pronto availableChevroletdrivetrains : specifically , the Corvette 327 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 .
might - shiftautomaticallowed manual runnel through first and 2nd gears , but quite a little of buyers prefer or else for a to the full synchronized Borg - Warner four - upper , often play along by a Hurst shifter .
To learn how the 1965 - 1969 Avanti II compares to the original Avanti , go on to the next page .
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Continued
Only a true aficionado could enjoin the difference between a 1965 , 1966 , 1967 , 1968 , 1969 Avanti II and an original , without searching for a " II " in its nameplate . Profile and detailing changed little , except that the new one sat more level on the primer coat .
The early " rake " ( front end lower than the fanny ) was gone . Otherwise , the revived coupe displayed the same grill - less nose , sharp - edged front cowcatcher , slim bumper , and " Coke - nursing bottle " visibility , with only a slim narrowing of front steering wheel openings .
Lighter weight unit gave the car better weight distribution . Frontdisc brakesprovided disappearance - free fillet major power . Road - examiner give way it high marks for safety , silence , and a unfluctuating but well-off drive .
While the original Avantis had concentre on performance , the unexampled unity qualified as four - place " personal luxury " machine , partially due to higher prices . Whereas the original had sold for $ 4,445 , the Avanti II pop at $ 7,200 – or as little as $ 6,550 if the buyer agree to do without a few standard items .
Throw in a full load of option , and the sticker could come near 10 grand .
uncommitted equipment included air conditioning , powerfulness windows , tinted glass , Eppe driving lightness , limited - slipdifferential , Magnum 500 chromed steering wheel , and enough more .
Inside , $ 200 buy an ascent to textured " Raphael vinyl , " while $ 500 was the price for all leather . As later lit proclaimed , there were " more than 400 ways to ' bollix up yourself ' inside an Avanti . "
This is not to say , however , that the Avanti had become a slouch . Top velocity register at around 125 miles per hour , and a " II " with reflexive could accelerate to 60 miles per hour in less than nine instant .
Eugene Hardig , who ’d been the last Chief Engineer at Studebaker , was creditworthy for keeping the engine " legal " as it grew to 350 - cid displacement in 1969 , and later to 400 cid .
For 1965 - 1969 Avanti II specifications , go on to the next Thomas Nelson Page .
1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 Avanti II Specifications
The 1965 - 1969 Avant 2 were custom built touring railroad car with lavishness spoils and sporty acceleration . Only true connoisseurs can evidence the divergence between Avanti II and the original Avanti by Studebaker .
Specifications
engine : all , ohv V-8 ; 1965 - 1969 , 327 Criminal Investigation Command ( 4.00 × 3.25 ) , 300 bhp ; 1969 , 350 Criminal Investigation Command ( 4.00 × 3.48 ) , 300 bhp
contagion : Borg - Warner 4 - speeding manual of arms or “ ability - shift ” 3 - speed automatic
Suspension front : upper and lower A - arms , ringlet springs , stabiliser bar
Suspension rear : live axle , leafage springs
Brakes : front discs , rearward drums
Wheelbase ( in . ): 109.0
Weight ( lbs ): 3,181 - 3,217
Top speed ( mph ): 121 - 125
0 - 60 mph ( sec ): 7.5 - 8.8
