Sotheby’s reported in 2019 that a 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 ‘Supercharged’ sold for $104,500.
It begins by talking about the early 1960s and how car designers were pushing the boundaries of automotive technology. Studebaker, an American company known for its cars in the 1950s, was struggling to keep up with the big three (Ford, Chevy, and Chrysler) and needed a new car to bring the company back to success.
There were three engine options available for the Avanti: the R1, R2, and R3. The R1 was the base engine, a 289 cubic inch V8 that produced 240 horsepower. The R2 was a more powerful version of the R1, producing 290 horsepower. The R3 was the rarest and most powerful version, producing 335 horsepower. The Avanti could accelerate from 0 to 60 in 7 to 8 seconds and had a top speed of around 120 mph.
The Avanti was well-received by critics, but Studebaker had problems filling orders due to poor quality fiberglass bodies. This led to many customers cancelling their orders and the company eventually going out of business in 1963. However, the Avanti was rescued by two Studebaker dealers who bought the rights to the car and continued to produce it for many years.
