Avanti Production

[psdenno]

Total number of Avantis that rolled off the various assembly lines for all model years 1963-2007?

Edited January 29, 2015 by psdenno

[brad]

all of them

[psdenno]

all of them

That would be one way of looking at it

However, I was hoping someone could quantify the number of Avantis set free to roam the planet.

[Gunslinger]

The best figure according to John Hull is 8187. Some of his figures from Mexico production are estimates.

[psdenno]

The best figure according to John Hull is 8187. Some of his figures from Mexico production are estimates.

Close, but I think that 8,187 figure includes a few non Avanti vehicles. How many of the 8,187 wore Avanti name badges?

BTW, how's the weather today? Any warmer?

[Gunslinger]

Little iceballs falling out of the sky...forecast is for slick and potentially dangerous roads this evening. I'm home but my wife has to come home through it. I tried to get her to come home early before it happened...but she's too dedicated to her job.

Back to Avantis...going back to John Hull's book..subtract 3 AVX's, 3 XUV prototypes, 47 SVO Listers and 6 SVO Porsches and that leaves 8128 cars with the Avanti name on them. He states the Listers and Porsche number was approximate so the final number is approximate.

[psdenno]

Little iceballs falling out of the sky...forecast is for slick and potentially dangerous roads this evening. I'm home but my wife has to come home through it. I tried to get her to come home early before it happened...but she's too dedicated to her job.

Back to Avantis...going back to John Hull's book..subtract 3 AVX's, 3 XUV prototypes, 47 SVO Listers and 6 SVO Porsches and that leaves 8128 cars with the Avanti name on them. He states the Listers and Porsche number was approximate so the final number is approximate.

Actually, I only pulled the three AVXs from the 8,187 total he lists, leaving 8,184 Avantis. Not sure that the Listers and prototypes were included in the yearly production numbers he lists. All in all, I was surprised to see the production at over 8,000. I would have thought less.

[8E45E]

That would be one way of looking at it

However, I was hoping someone could quantify the number of Avantis set free to roam the planet.

Do uncompleted units count as 'all of them'? There is talk of unfinished cars in Mexico.

Craig

[Gunslinger]

It's kind of surprising that in less than two years Studebaker produced well over half of all the Avantis built. Avanti Motors (in several forms) over far more years built far fewer cars. When someone says rarity equals value doesn't understand the free market. Post-Studebaker Avantis are more rare by production numbers but the Studebakers generally are where the market value is.

Of course condition makes a big difference, but the free market rules.

[plwindish]

Gunny, we also could expand the free market thought as also being very fickle in placing a value on and giving credit to any particular model. What car started the sporty muscle image with the racy looks of a long hood and short deck? Wasn't Mustang in 64 that started it, but got just about all the credit for it. Many automotive historians seem to forget what Studebaker introduced in 1962.

[Gunslinger]

There's no question of that...most people forget the Plymouth Barracuda was introduced prior to the Mustang with the same long hood/short rear deck treatment. Besides the huge publicity the Mustang received, the Barracuda was obviously a Valiant with an Avanti like rear window added...without credit given to the Avanti influence...but the car was originally the Valiant Barracuda with Valiant nameplates on the front fenders. The GTO was like that....it was originally the Tempest/Le Mans GTO to slip it by GM management as merely a Tempest option. The Mustang also wasn't obviously a re-bodied Falcon from the outside.

The Avanti and Mustang weren't aimed at the same markets, either. The Mustang was promoted at first as a secretary's car as well as for performance. I think there's a strong argument for the Avanti being first in the "personal luxury" market which is generally credited to the '68 Pontiac Grand Prix. The Avanti was somewhat bare bones at first compared to the GP option list, but Nate Altman took care of that. If Studebaker had survived as a car maker and the Avanti not dropped, there's no reason to believe Studebaker wouldn't have continued the performance and luxury upgrades...but we all know that didn't happen.

Actually...I think a stronger argument exists for the GT Hawk being the first in the personal luxury market segment. Is that respect the Avanti was competing against another Studebaker product. Whether that hurt Avanti sales or Hawk sales is something I've never seen discussed or investigated. That's a discussion all its own.

History isn't always kind...nor accurate. The same goes for the free market...it can be fickle. The Avanti...Stdebaker and post-Studebaker...has so much going...limited numbers...performance...beautiful if also described sometimes as polarizing design...a great backstory...it should have value far higher that it does. But it doesn't. That's great if you're buying...lousy if you're selling or want to restore.