Hardig Concern

[mfg]

What was the one thing that Eugene Hardig was dead set against concerning the 'new' Studebaker Avanti?

[Gunslinger]

There was more than one...he was dead set against making it a 2-seater as Egbert envisioned and against trying to build it out of sheet metal...too many compound curves for the body stamping technology they had at the time and fiberglass was far cheaper for initial setup for low volume production.

[mfg]

There was more than one...he was dead set against making it a 2-seater as Egbert envisioned and against trying to build it out of sheet metal...too many compound curves for the body stamping technology they had at the time and fiberglass was far cheaper for initial setup for low volume production.

No...my info indicates that wasn't the case.

[Guest dapy]

Who was Hardig?

[mfg]

Who was Hardig?

Studebaker chief engineer during the Avanti era.

[mfg]

Any other opinions on what Hardig's 'beef' about the 'new' Studebaker Avanti was?

[Guest dapy]

When a plastic Avanti broke the dealer couldn't fix it?

[mfg]

When a plastic Avanti broke the dealer couldn't fix it?

Dapy,...You're quite right here!...Hardig's early on concern over the Avanti project was the use of fiberglass in its construction...He wanted to stay with steel...something he clearly understood.

[Gunslinger]

Gene Hardig was the one who wanted the fiberglass body work farmed out. He told management that if they set up a fiberglass shop it would look like the inside of a flour mill. As it turns out circumstances forced them to set up the fiberglass body line anyway.