production numbers on Avanti factory colors?

[kellyavanti]

When a friend saw my "new" 63 Avanti, she asked "Were they all red? That's all I ever see." I think she was sort of being a smart alec, but it got me wondering. Does anybody know where I might find out about production numbers of different colors?

Thanks, Kelly

[Gunslinger]

The Studebaker National Museum sells a data book on Studebaker Avanti production with the information you want. Just contact them and order it...it has pretty much all the production information you would want.

[kellyavanti]

Excellent. Will do.

Thanks, Kelly

[kellyavanti]

Guess I should have looked for that when I ordered my production order this morning...

[J Boyle]

I asked this same question on the SDC Forum...

IIRC, the answer is only 15 % of production.

It was far below the numbers for White, Gold and Turquoise.

The man who restored mine said he's never seen a red one before.

Mine is the only red one in town.

[Guest dapy]

I have the museum production book. It separates cars by designated model year. 1963 models: black 115; white 899; turquoise 682; gold 1220; red 568; gray 349. With 1964 models: black 32; white 153; turquoise 138; gold 104; red 224; gray 77; and maroon 80 which was added later in 1963. As we all know production ended in 1963 and the '64 model designation was for dealers to have something 'new' to sell.

So it is apparent that red with a total 792 looses to gold with 1324. One reason might be that gold was the brochure car color as well as the color of your refrigerator or stove in 1963. Recently there were three red Avantis for sale at eBay the same week. Two were shown as "sold" but the high bidders reneged. That's considered fraud and it is happening too often. One of the reds went to Roswell NM. We called it the 'Alien Avanti'.

[plwindish]

I was a freshman in high school attending the Farm Progress Show in Morton IL in September 1962 when I went into a tent with the "new" Avanti on display. I remember the car's color was silver (must have been gray) with red interior. The meeting did start a love affair with the Avanti. April 1966, I did buy a black round headlight '64 R1 with air. The black 64 had red and fawn interior with the salt and pepper red and black carpet. Now I'm wondering if the black round headlight 64 was 1 of 32 in the 64 production or 1 of 115 from the 63 production. The car was sold new as a 64 but weren't some unsold 63's sold as 64's? I know there were some transitional models, but sadly I haven't had the car since 69 and don't have its serial number either.

[Gunslinger]

It's not uncommon at all to find '63 Avantis registered as '64s. Studebaker sent out a letter to dealers to do just that...register unsold stock as '64s. That's why the "63" was removed from the serial numbers.

I know someone who owned an Avanti registered as a '64 and when we compared serial numbers his "1964" Avanti had a serial number about a thousand before my the '63 I owned.

The true transitional '64s with round headlight bezels are out there but are probably outnumbered by '63s titled as '64s. A true transitional car (if still original) would have wood grain dash and console inlays with the four slot console bezel (instead of the five slot for post R4892 cars), a woodgrain steering wheel and matching steering column, plus a few other '64 details. You'll probably find a number of '63s retrofitted with those same details that could be mistaken for a true transitional car.

[plwindish]

My 64 had the round headlight bezels, and grill under the bumper. If the transitional models had the wood grain dash overlays, then my car was truly an unsold 63 sold as a 64 as the dash surround was painted fawn and had a fawn steering wheel. I'm a little confused on the 5 slots instead of the four slots on the console. What was eliminated or added? My 76 Avanti has 5 slots, 2 vents, heater, temp and defrost controls. As I'm remembering, my Stude Avanti had the same controls on the console.

[Gunslinger]

The '63 has the same controls as the post R4892 and Avanti II's, but they have the winged levers and one is split in the third slot which is wider. The later cars have five individual slots with the levers capped by a ball. They do the same job but have a different appearance. Look at the console on both your cars...the same functions are there but a different look.

The grille under the bumper was made a dealer installed retrofit by Studebaker...many cars have it that left the factory without one.

[Guest dapy]

I think my Avanti qualifies as a 'transitional' car. Serial is R4888 and registered as a 1964. Production was August 1963. It has round lights, wood grain dash/console, and round Climatizer knobs plus a few other transitional touches. Gold with a (redone) medium red interior. Original was elk. Still quite nice.

Does any of this carry higher value?

Edited August 26, 2012 by dapy

[Gunslinger]

Your car is definitely a transitional car with that serial number. The factory stopped production for the month of July '63 to allow accumulated inventory sell down plus to make ready the '64 model cars. August built cars would have all the '64 transitional cars plus standardized production features on subsequent post-R4892 vehicles.

As far as higher value, that's an open question. You do have a much rarer car than most, regardless of whether it's an R1 or R2. The bragging rights don't add value but definitely a talking point. I think the real value lies in that, as a true transitional '64, it is an educational reference example as to how Studebaker was building them during a time of change.