At the time the car was built, Studebaker was on the ropes financially. The Big Three, Ford, Chevrolet and Chrysler, had taken hold of the American market with cars like the Corvette and Mustang establishing dominance within the segment. Company president Sherwood Egbert brought in one of the leading designers of the era, Raymond Loewy, to create the car.

The Avanti, showing off its custom wire wheels, wait to go up on the auction stage. (Photo: David Harris)

Loewy had worked with Studebaker from 1938 to 1953, creating rides such as the Starliner coupe, which many hailed as one of the more beautifully aesthetic vehicles of the early 50s. Loewy and his design team wanted to make a splash in the showrooms, something that was sleek and aerodynamic. The whole project was harried in its execution, hurting its chances at the outset.

“They had trouble getting the cars to the public,” Kinney said. “The biggest problem was that they bought bodies from the Molded Fiber Glass Body Company, and (Studebaker) rejected more than they kept early on.

“It’s an interesting story because they didn’t have any money at all, and there are a lot of pieces to that car,” Kinney continued. “The frame was off a ’63 Lark Daytona convertible, but that traced its history back to (around) ’53. It was already very much outdated architecture. What they had was a little bit of overpromising, but weren’t able to deliver.

“It was) a successful car, but by the time people were coming around to getting their cars, they canceled an awful lot of orders because they couldn’t provide them.”

Despite failing to meet initial expectations, the design created a small, but solid fan base. While the 1963 was the final edition for Studebaker, South Bend dealers Nathan Altman and Leo Newman purchased the plant and continued to construct and improve on the car under the Avanti II platform.

Its high retail and limited production made it a more specialized vehicle. Attempts to keep the name and style going lasted until 1991, when attrition and trouble doomed the small company.