My Avanti. Registration history?

[Leo B]

Hey, Please help.
Because I live abroad, I don’t know very well about U.S. vehicle registration. Avanti came to Finland 1989 with licence plate 1963 including registration stickers 1973 + 1974. I have registration cards from 30.10.63 to 1974. The first registration was made by a gentleman who sold / gave / left as an inheritance the Avanti to his son in 1973. Im very sure the son used mostly this car. Could it be that this car was last used in 1974 in the U.S? 🤔 The car would therefore have been staying somewhere for 15 years (bought to Finland 1989). The Avanti interior is in very good condition and the frame + hog troughs are in good condition or lets say ...  in excellent condition. Only rust can be found on rear cross member. This can tell that it has only been used for 11 years. 🤔 The only problem was that the engine heads and Paxton were broken. Maybe the surfer boy was only interested in surfing and high speed than caring for a car. I found the "boy's" name on the internet, but according to the search, he has past away. Same is his father. So I cannot ask. In Finland the Avanti has been used very rarely and only in warm, sunny days. 300-500 miles per year.

Edited October 3, 2021 by Leo B

[studegary]

In the USA, many older cars, particularly show cars, are not registered for regular use.  The lack of rust probably speaks more of where the car resided than how many years it was used. 

[Leo B]

OK. I understand but does the license plate and sticker (that were in the car) tell that the car was last used in traffic in 1974?

[studegary]

2 hours ago, Leo B said:

OK. I understand but does the license plate and sticker (that were in the car) tell that the car was last used in traffic in 1974?

Not necessarily.  Some are driven on dealer plates, transporter plates, etc.  

[Leo B]

11 hours ago, studegary said:

Not necessarily.  Some are driven on dealer plates, transporter plates, etc.  

OK. Thanks Studegary. Then I can deduce that my Avanti has been used in daily use in traffic last year 1974. Climate + 11 years + young stallion as a user explains my Avantis condition. After 1974 maybe used just driving or transported here and there.

[Skip Lackie]

It is certainly possible that the car has been in storage somewhere (I've done that myself, though not with an Avanti).  It's also possible that the car was licensed in some other (rust-prone) state for those 15 years, and the seller decided to throw that paperwork away and emphasize the Calif black-plate history by including only the Calif plates and registrations with the car.  California yellow/black plates have a mystique here in the US, because cars that have those plates (and a plate number that is correct, chronologically) have been in California ever since the 1960s, and are, therefore, not likely to have serious rust.  It supposedly adds value to the car, but for the unwary, it can be a trap.

Do the California registration cards match your car?  If so, then at least you know that the car was registered there in 1973 and 74.  What are the first three letters of the license plate number?  The yellow and black plate numbers started at AAA-001 in 1963, and reached ZZZ-999 in 1969, so those plates could not have been first issued in 1973.  The three-letter prefix will ID about when they were first issued.  

[Leo B]

Hi Skip,
California registration cards mathes the car. I have those from 1963 to 1974 (in fathers name and later sons name). Car R4543 ID number is correct in every year paper. Plates are IIN-629 same in papers 1963 to 1974 also.
 

[Skip Lackie]

California plate number IIN-629 was issued in 1963, so that's good news -- you now know that the car lived in Calif from 1963 to 1974.  The early Calif stickers had a tendency to peel up around the edges, and many owners peeled them off before they put on a new sticker.  That would explain why there are no earlier stickers on those plates.  It still does not provide any info on where the car was living during 1974-89 (which was your original question!).  Someone with some old AOAI membership rosters may be able to find the car listed under another owner's name.  Good luck with your car.

[Leo B]

13 minutes ago, Skip Lackie said:

California plate number IIN-629 was issued in 1963, so that's good news -- you now know that the car lived in Calif from 1963 to 1974.  The early Calif stickers had a tendency to peel up around the edges, and many owners peeled them off before they put on a new sticker.  That would explain why there are no earlier stickers on those plates.  It still does not provide any info on where the car was living during 1974-89 (which was your original question!).  Someone with some old AOAI membership rosters may be able to find the car listed under another owner's name.  Good luck with your car.

Thank You Skip! 👍😁

[bob caser]

The license plate you have shown was issued in 1963 at the DMV in Santa Ana , California. The decal for San Onofre Beach is in Orange County as well and not far from Santa Ana.

Bob Caser

[Leo B]

15 hours ago, bob caser said:

The license plate you have shown was issued in 1963 at the DMV in Santa Ana , California. The decal for San Onofre Beach is in Orange County as well and not far from Santa Ana.

Bob Caser

Hi Bob, Thank You. I found from map the address where first owner lived: xxxx Windsor PL, Santa Ana CA 92705. Car was in this address 1963 - 1974. Interesting to see the house and see a small piece of how the owners have lived. The cultural value of a car increases when it gets a story.👍

[Leo B]

Hi you all,
I got few days ago production Record Copy + Drive-Away Shipper document from museum. In the document was written 99 Tag Las Vegas Driveaway. I didnt understand what that ment. I got yesterday my first Avanti Magazine and Voila! In the magazine was article about Las Vegas Avanti Driveaway! My R-4543 was in the list. Now I have more info. Thanks goes to Bob Hull (editor) and Monte Gillispie (museum)
BTW Very nice magazine 👍😎