Back in 1963, while most American sporty cars (except the Corvette, of course) were large, chrome-encrusted cruisers, Studebaker debuted a 4-passenger car that stood out for its clean, futuristic and uncluttered design. The Avanti had a grill-less front end, simple bumpers, a smooth profile and a wrap-around rear window. And with its standard 289 4-barrel V8, this sleek car had the performance to back up its looks. Taking it to a whole ‘nother level was the “R2” version, which featured a potent supercharged version of the 289 V8. Here we have one of those ultra-rare, high-performance Avanti R2s. And it is a doubly amazing find considering its incredible condition as the well-maintained, low-mileage car was refurbished as needed. The fiberglass body was treated to one high-quality respray in the correct Avanti Gold lacquer and the bumpers were rechromed. As such, the car looks gorgeous with its arrow-straight body, and brilliant paint and chrome. The original wheel covers, like the car’s body style, look futuristic and complement the car nicely. Underneath, the car is so impressively clean that we’d eat lasagna off of it. Inside, the driver is treated to a cockpit that looks as if it was borrowed from a jet plane. Full instruments are provided, and the whole interior, from the headliner down to the carpet, is in very nice condition. The front seats were reupholstered to factory spec. Under the hood, the original supercharged 289 V8 looks and runs great. It was rated at 280 horsepower, and when running through the optional 3-speed automatic could send the Avanti to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds and run down the quarter mile in 15.8 seconds – about the same as a Corvette with the base 327 and an automatic and respectably quick for the time. Note that the transmission is also original to the car. Out on the road, this Avanti runs great, with plenty of power. The suspension was rebuilt as needed, with new kingpins, shocks and u-joints while the brakes were likewise gone through and as a result the car handles and brakes very well. We also replaced the mufflers with a pair of NOS units. For more information or to schedule time to see this amazing Avanti R2, just give us a call at 603-627-5595. Financing is offered through our approved lender, interesting trades are welcome and enclosed shipping can be arranged.
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