psdenno

To show off the Avanti, Studebaker invited members of the motorsports press to the Bonneville Salt Flats to watch the speed runs. The intent was to get articles in major newspapers and popular automotive magazines. A viewing stand was set up for the press to observe the speed runs. The trivia question for the holiday weekend is..... Who was the Avanti driver at Bonneville who had difficulty coming to a stop after finishing a high speed run and almost plowed an Avanti through the Motorsports press viewing stand?

Keep us posted on your progress. It's been an interesting story to follow for the last eight months.

Good, because there was only one guess remaining. So '62 and '66?

Four

Five

Wow, that's a bit of history I had never seen before. Thanks for posting the question.

Correct on both points.

It is interesting and I'd like to believe it was an intentional Loewy decision for the benefit of rear seat passengers. But, there's no one left to ask.

Let's start the week with an easy one........ What automobile manufacturer said the Avanti II was too ugly and declined Nate Altman’s proposal to build them for Avanti Motors?

Those would be the ones. For years, conjecture was that it was designed that way so rear seat passengers could have a less obstructed forward view. I don't know if that was the reason, or not.

Correct! Good job.

The cushion seating area.

How much higher does the Avanti rear seat sit than the front seat?

No need to be sorry, MFG. Regnalbob is a winner with 9/1/63 as that matches the document I referenced.

No.

Studebaker stated all Avantis sold after what date should be registered as 1964 models. 9/1/63 10/15/63 10/30/63 1/5/64

Good answer. Studebaker referred to seat belts as a "Compulsory option". Kind of an oxymoron, but that's how they rolled.

Front seat belts were standard equipment on the 1963 Avanti. TRUE FALSE

Correct! Gold was the most prevalent color for 1963 Avantis with 1,220 of them being set loose on the highways.

Most popular ’63 Avanti exterior color based on sales? Gold, White, Turquoise, Red

Correct. Just like the ones you could get at your local Sears Service Center. I miss Sears.

Brand of tires used during Studebaker’s Bonneville record breaking runs ?

You're excused.

Mercedes is generally mentioned as the manufacturer of Avanti latches. But, that's incorrect. The company during the early Avanti years was called Daimler Benz. Mercedes is the end product, not the company. The name of the company from 1926 to 1998 was Daimler Benz. Named after Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz. It then became Daimler Chrysler and is currently named Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Mercedes was the name of the daughter of a driver who raced Daimler cars in the early 1900s. And so ends the automotive history lesson for May 9, 2026.

How far away is the next closest upholstery shop? It shouldn't be a big ordeal for a shop. I had my '63 seat cushions done a few months ago when I had new upholstery installed.