63R-1004!

[mfg]

In 2013, Studebaker Avanti 63R-1004 sold for $84,200 at a Gooding's Company auto auction in Scottsdale.....True?

[Guest dapy]

What made it worth that much?

[brad]

What made it worth that much, is someone wanted it enough to pay that much. Much like people pay high prices for a Shelby. They are after all a Mustang, which was a modifies Falcon. Has nothing to do with supply and demand, but perceived value. This perception is based on many years of publications pushing an agenda because their paid advertisers make and sell products for said vehicles. If there was aftermarket suppliers with multi million dollar advertising budgets for Studebaker, you can bet your bippie that the values would be higher. Also everyone advertising cars on Ebay does nothing to help Avanti values. If you advertise in a place where people go for bargains, don't bitch about low values. Advertise where money is. IE Conde Nast. Dupont Registry, etc. Advertise it as a design icon (which it is) and something to be desired. If one words a car as a project, or something you need to sell, then you won't get the most for it. This perceived value is how one puts forth desirability. Are any Mustang of Corvette as good or better than an Avanti? Of course not! But if you push it as Grandmas' plastic Lark, then you can be sure it won't go up in value.

[Gunslinger]

Auctions are high-power venues where they stir up excitement to start and maintain bidding wars. It takes two people to keep the bidding going...some might get auction fever and refuse to be beat and some might want to brag about how much they pay for something...whether it was sensible or not. Auction prices usually don't include the premium...sometimes both a buyers and sellers premium which goes straight to the house and raises the end cost to the buyer and reduces the income to the seller. There's also the fees for even auctioning the car in the first place plus a surcharge for premium placement in the show. I don't think sellers usually walk away with close to what outsiders think they're getting.

These kind of auctions may be fun to watch but easy to get hurt in...as always it depends if you're the seller or the buyer. Even at these big-dollar auctions the cars you usually don't see...those that sell during the off-primetime hours...tend to sell for what they're worth. They just don't garner the attention and tv time.

[mfg]

But did it sell for $84.200?

[lschuc]

Answer is actually FALSE. The car sold for $74,800 plus a 10% buyer's premium, making the total amount $82,280. The Gooding and Co. auction was held in January 2013 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Check Avanti Magazine #161 for the complete story.

It is the 4th production Avanti sold.

[mfg]

FALSE...is correct!....$74,800 plus buyers premium it is! (63R-1004 Avanti was restored here in Massachusetts by a OCEAN BAY CHAPTER member. At the time, it was owned by a fellow who lived on Marthas Vineyard. (island)

[brad]

Actually the previous owner lives in Virginia near DC. He also owns 1002, and has a couple of his cars at my shop right now.

[mfg]

Actually the previous owner lives in Virginia near DC. He also owns 1002, and has a couple of his cars at my shop right now.

Right!, next time you see him ask him about my friend in Mass...who most likely sold him 63R-1004. (it is possible though, that the car went through another 'set of hands' before your customer eventually purchased it)

[brad]

Mr. Kinney was the owner at the time of the sale. It was even televised, and Dave was one of the commentators on the T.V. He (of course) no longer owns it.

Edited January 27, 2015 by brad

[mfg]

I see, well, 63R-1004 (and 63R-1002) are certainly two very similar and very beautiful '63 Avantis....Perhaps the ultimate examples of the very early Studebaker Avantis?