Help find gold R1 Avanti no. 2837, orig. from North Dakota

[Bill Pressler]

A woman named Mary Anne Hanson contacted me recently and said at age 20 she bought a brand-new Avanti Gold R1 with elk interior and Powershift, from Wavra Motors in Grand Forks, ND and had been photographed in the "Studebaker News", as the car was delivered to her. I actually had the May '63 Studebaker News and there was her photo, stating she was the first delivery of an Avanti in North Dakota! I sent it to her.

Through the help of George Krem and also the Studebaker National Museum, we were able to find out definitively that her car was serial no. 63R-2837, and had R1 engine no. R-2069.

Mary Anne would love to find her car and buy it back!

Sadly, it doesn't appear in the current AOAI roster from where I looked, and doesn't show in a 1977 roster that someone on the Studebaker Drivers' Club forum had.

It was traded in 1966 at Wilcox and Malm Oldsmobile in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

I'd even be curious if the engine survived.

Any input anyone might have is much-appreciated.

Thanks!

Edited February 20, 2011 by Bill Pressler

[Bill Pressler]

Mary Anne's Avanti, R-2837, has been located! After all these months, my post on the AACA Forum prompted a response from "Dave" from Ocala, FL, stating he has the car which he purchased from a Lenny Puma in California in 1998. It is no longer Avanti Gold, as it had been painted white sometime over the years. The interior was "trashed" when he bought it, and he bought it without engine or trans. Mary Anne is a bit disappointed, but on the other hand, glad it survived. Dave said she wouldn't recognize it. She replied, "That's OK; it probably wouldn't recognize me, either!"

Dave is doing a restoration and has a GM LT-1 engine ready to drop in.

Mary Anne and her husband Jerry, of Kansas, are planning on being at South Bend for the big meet this summer. I'll remind them to wear their name tags all over in South Bend, so if you see a "Mary Anne" and a "Jerry" who look like they might have been original '63 Avanti owners, say "hi"! Let's show them what a great group the SDC and AOAI are!

Thanks,

Bill Pressler