The beginning dates of interest

[garyc]

Avanti design starts 3/19/'61. NY Auto Show intro 4/26/'62. 29 land speed records set 4/25/'62. First Avanti 63R1001 shipped 6/5/'62. Cross Country Promo with records set 9/19/'63. The end announced 12/10/'63. So much potential, so much industry lost and the company started before the Civil War. By the '70s the Company was totally gone. I tell this story every time someone asked about my 63R3453.

[mfg]

Keep that baby rolling garyc!!

[Geoff]

I can only wish I lived in the thread (of string theory) in which Studebaker made it to the oil crisis of late '73, early '74 and had the "banksters" pull funding at that time.

Can you imagine, Studebaker would've had 10 more years

… to develop their 3 7/8" bore (342) and 4" bore (364) engines.

… to further develop the Champ, Lark (Challenger), Hawk, and Avanti lines.

… to be partnered with Paxton. Joe and Andy would've returned Due Cento to Bonneville when the salt dried, pushing their previously traction limited 196 MPH average over 200 MPH.

The factory or a privateer team could have campaigned (a) Challenger Daytona(s) in SCCA Trans-Am; Studebaker had a dual quad 304 in R4.

A 364 with R5 treatment would've made some heads spin in drag racing and at Bonneville.