Motor Trend-April, 2001 – Avanti, freely translated from Italian, means forward, which is just where Studebaker's president,
Sherwood Egbert, hopes to lead his company with an exciting new '63 automobile. From "doodle to drawing board to prototype" in less than a year is an accomplishment for any auto maker who is designing a production car, but
Studebaker was able to push this program and still incorporate into the Avanti major "firsts" for the industry. Egbert knew what he wanted and doodled styling concepts that were used as a guide for stylist
Raymond Loewy, who once before had put Studebaker back in sales competition. Engineering, in the meantime, was working to improve engine performance and chassis handling, using the 289-cu-in. Hawk engine and the 109-in. wheel-base Lark Daytona chassis. Studebaker acquired Paxton Products, manufacturer of the well-known Paxton centrifugal supercharger.
Andy Granatelli, head man at Paxton, was included in the deal, and his knowledge of high-performance engines and superchargers was channeled into Studebaker's Avanti program. Acceleration times for both 0-60 and the quarter mile are very good. Punching the throttle at 60 mph, it takes but 12 sec to hit 100 mph. Hardest thing to do with the Avanti is to keep the engine revs under 6000 rpm in any gear, as it just wants to keep going. And this was a redline imposed by Studebaker engineering, who still had some tests to finish on this car. Plans call for limited production and a $4000-plus pricetag. Studebaker can produce as high as 1000 per month and is hoping demand will make this necessary. — Chuck Nerpel, Editor
