1964 Studebaker Avanti

Nick, the seller of this Avanti R3, bought it three years ago as unfinished project from the previous owner. “It was originally a gold R2, but he was rebuilding it as an homage to the Granatelli brothers R3 test car. Hence the bored out, high-performance engine and Red Nightfire Metallic paintwork.”

What started off as a quick restoration quickly snowballed into something far more comprehensive. “I had the engine rebuilt by a chap who used to work for a race car specialist, and his attention to detail bordered on the anal. If bolts weren’t to his standard then he’d take them out and helicoil them until they were.”

He reckons the engine internals alone came to an estimated £10k, and that the finished car is one hell of a performer. “It really is a bonkers car, for a bonkers person. I think with a rolling road tune-up the power output is looking at least 350bhp.”

It’s been off the road since 1992 – and garaged since then – and the rebuild has only been completed in the last six months. “It’s completed 200 miles since then. I changed the oil last weekend and also put it through an MOT – it didn’t need one, of course – and it sailed through with no advisories.”

The Avanti has had a total of five owners and the odometer currently reads 39,376. “The first owner was in the US until 1976; there’s a lovely slip in the history file from 1968 when he drove it 1000 miles from Ohio to Florida. It’s subsequently had another four, including myself, in the UK.”

If you wanted to stand out in period on North American roads then buying a Studebaker Avanti would have ensured that. Fast forward to the present day, and in the UK, and you can multiply that at least 100 fold. It has a sharp suited Sixties style all of its own.

“The glass fibre body is in great condition,” says Nick. “And the paintwork has just had a full machine polish, so it looks lovely and is in excellent condition.”

A quick look at the pictures in our photographic gallery below confirms that, as does the accompanying video. The paintwork has a very nice metallic fleck to it, and a lovely deep lustre. There is a touch of overspray here and there on the underside, but this wouldn’t be too taxing to rectify if it bothered.

There’s a deceptively large amount of brightwork on the Avanti and it’s generally in very good condition. The front bumper has a small area towards the centre with a few concentrated scratches, but all window trims, badges and those star-shaped wheel trims all remain free from pitting and very smart.

Nick says that the BF Goodrich Radial T/A tyres have been on the car for a while, but as it’s been on stands since 1992 it hasn’t sat on them for a long period of time.

“It had new carpets fitted a while back,” says Nick. “There are a few marks now, but they’re still very good. All the electrics work, as it’s been re-wired with a brand-new wiring loom. Again, my engine man oversaw this and again it was done to his standards using marine grade electrics.”

There’s currently no heater fitted, but one does come with the car. It was leaking a bit, so it’s recently been whipped out and a repair kit has now been sourced.

The cabin is pure Sixties Americana with faux wood and Mazak abounding. It’s by no means in concours condition, but instead has a charming patina. The steering column is a touch chipped as is the aforementioned ‘wood’, but the seats are rip free and there’s a vanity mirror that slides out of the glove box – so your missus can check her lipstick while you nail the loud-pedal (or vice versa).

The original Studebaker Radio Transistor remains in place and Avanti branded mats that match the exterior colour cover the carpets.

Okay, take a look under the bonnet and this is where things get saucy. “It’s incredibly powerful for the age of this thing,” says Nick. “It’s an absolute rocket to 3500rpm. I haven’t been over that as the engine is still being run in, but at 5000rpm it’ll be bonkers.”

He says the brakes are fantastic, offering plenty of stopping power. “We fitted new brake lines, and the gearbox was also refurbished so gear shifts are seamless. The steering was also rebuilt recently (new knuckles to the pinion and the centre pin rebuilt), so it drives nice and tight.”

It’s not currently running with power steering (he says it’s fine without), but this could be reinstated fairly easily. The star of the show is of course that R3 spec engine, “it has ported and polished heads, Ross pistons, Arrow rods, new belts and a custom made electronic ignition system.”

The pictures of the underside appears to back up Nick’s assertion that there’s not a spot of rot on the chassis, as it all looks to be fresh and well protected. This is one special vehicle.

There are some old MOT test certificates and a Re-order spec sheet from Studebaker showing that the car was originally ordered in Avanti Gold and with the Jet Thrust Supercharged R2 set-up.

Of more interest are the recent invoices totalling £11,494.80 – for gearbox refurbishment, boring out the engine block, re-grinding the crank and rebuilding using the supplied race parts, and re-fitting and setting up the new carburettor – and £3,897.60 – for replacing the wiring loom with a custom unit, fitting new fuel and brake lines, refurbishing the gauges, rebuilding the starter motor and alternator and rebuilding the steering rack (phew!).

That camping note from ’68 is also included, as is an insurance cover note from ’75.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored to a high standard.

This is without doubt a quirkily wonderful bit of high-performance North American kit. That deep V8 burble is worth the admission fee alone – god alone knows what that supercharged engine will sound like at full chat.

It’s had some serious recent outlay and that’s resulted in a car that’s ready for the next owner to enjoy some high fidelity, heavy metal motoring. Everything, right down to the wiring, has been sorted so we understand it’s absolutely on the button.

What do we think it’ll sell for? Well, somewhere in the region of £25,000 and £35,000. That’s a hell of a lot of stylish North American horses waiting to be unleashed, for not a great deal of cash – it’s even better value if you factor in those recent works.

If you’re into your V8 engines, Yank tanks or just lust after something gloriously different, then this scintillating Avanti R3 homage could be just what you’re looking for.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located in Bournemouth; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.