Costly Avantis!

[mfg]

On 6/13/62, the estimated cost to Studebaker Corp for five 1963 Avantis PLUS a complete rolling Avanti chassis (R2)...which were to be sent to the South Bend and four other regional training centers was .......?.......

1) $21,975.50......2) $25,299.82.....3) $ 29,850.00....or.....$ 32,355.75

[mfg]

Any ideas on this one?

[r1lark]

Strictly guesstimating here............List price for a '64 Avanti (the only year I could quickly access in my bookshelf) was a little over $4000. Assuming this was a R1 with 3 speed manual and no options. So let's guess $4750 per Avanti with Powershift, power steering, etc. Guessing again (with absolutely nothing to base this on ) that Studebaker's cost was 85% of the sticker price, that's $4037 per car, or $20,187. Add about $2000 for the chassis, comes up to a little over $22K. So, I'll say #1,  $21,975.50...................again, total guesswork.

On this subject Ed, do you know where the other four regional training centers were? I have what I think are some pictures from one of the training centers, that were taken probably by my grandfather. 

[mfg]

3 hours ago, r1lark said:

Strictly guesstimating here............List price for a '64 Avanti (the only year I could quickly access in my bookshelf) was a little over $4000. Assuming this was a R1 with 3 speed manual and no options. So let's guess $4750 per Avanti with Powershift, power steering, etc. Guessing again (with absolutely nothing to base this on ) that Studebaker's cost was 85% of the sticker price, that's $4037 per car, or $20,187. Add about $2000 for the chassis, comes up to a little over $22K. So, I'll say #1,  $21,975.50...................again, total guesswork.

On this subject Ed, do you know where the other four regional training centers were? I have what I think are some pictures from one of the training centers, that were taken probably by my grandfather. 

WOW!!...after that amount of brainstorming Paul, I really dislike telling you you're just a bit short...The actual amount was #2, $25,299.82......Great job anyway!

Your grandfather's photos sound quite interesting!....The Studebaker Technical Training Centers were located in the cities of...............................

South Bend

New York City

Atlanta

Kansas City

San Francisco

The R2 rolling chassis itself stayed in South Bend, and was officially sent to the "Home Office Technical Service Section", which ( I assume) was a part of the South Bend Technical Training Center.........And also probably used for the Avanti Service Manual photos?.....Ed

[Dwight FitzSimons]

The list price for a 1963 or 64 Avanti was $4445.  That was for an R1, 3-spd manual trans, manual steering, no-options car.  My brother bought a '64 R2 in 1964.  It had AT, PS, PW, TT, push-button AM radio, all tinted glass.  Its serial number was R5559.  Its sticker price was $5324.99.  Strange that I still remember that number after all these years.  Now where did I leave my keys?

-Dwight

[mfg]

2 hours ago, Dwight FitzSimons said:

The list price for a 1963 or 64 Avanti was $4445.  That was for an R1, 3-spd manual trans, manual steering, no-options car.  My brother bought a '64 R2 in 1964.  It had AT, PS, PW, TT, push-button AM radio, all tinted glass.  Its serial number was R5559.  Its sticker price was $5324.99.  Strange that I still remember that number after all these years.  Now where did I leave my keys?

-Dwight

Ha ha!...Good story Dwight!.........By the way those five Avantis sent to the training centers were all optioned similar...........Supercharger, Powershift Trans (if possible), Power Steering, Radio, Antenna, Rear Seat Speaker, White Firestone 500 Tires, Seat Belts Front & Rear.......EXCEPT for the first one (63R1001) which was equipped with a Four Speed, Hill Holder, and Twin Traction...This first Avanti stayed in South Bend.

[mfg]

ONE MORE THING!!!!!......The R2 engine serial number in the first production Studebaker Avanti (63R1001) is RS1002....I always kind of wondered why the serial number on that first Avanti's engine wasn't RS1001?.....I'm now thinking that first R2 Avanti engine was used in the ROLLING AVANTI CHASSIS which was sent to the Home Office Technical Service Center......JUST A THOUGHT!

First production Avanti statistics..... Serial# 63R1001..........Body # 63RQ-101........Engine Serial # RS1002 ???

[r1lark]

Ed, here are the two photos that I mentioned. Since my family's dealership was on Long Island, this may very well be the New York City Technical Training Center. I know that this is not the service area of the dealership. My grandfather, although he was the President of the company, preferred to stay in the background and run the shop, so he went to a lot of the training. My father and uncle handled the sales. Note the DKW Junior in the background, many Studebaker dealers sold DKWs as part of the Mercedes-Benz sales agreement, so possibly there was training on the DKWs also. And that engine stand is super heavy duty! Comments welcome.

Edited December 16, 2021 by r1lark

[mfg]

Gosh, here are two historic photos take 59 years ago....They look like they were taken yesterday!....One of the earliest Avantis, sent to (probably) the New York Studebaker Regional Training Center...and an R2 Avanti engine 'on the stand' ready to be explained to Studebaker dealers and service personnel....I've never seen any Studebaker/Avanti photos quite like these....Thank you very much for sharing these family memories with us Paul!

(In my humble opinion, this story should be printed in 'AVANTI MAGAZINE')

[r1lark]

Note the fancy S-P branded red and white oil filter on the engine. 

[studegary]

3 minutes ago, r1lark said:

Note the fancy S-P branded red and white oil filter on the engine. 

Yes, I did notice it.  It would have to be 1962 to still be S-P.

[mfg]

This R2 engine looks very much like the engine pictured in the 1962 workshop manual (Avanti)..although the engine in the manual does not appear to have a two-toned oil filter.

[bob caser]

Spectacular photo, thank you for posting it. I like the turquoise hue  on the wall and support. As you know I have something turquoise from your family Studebaker dealership that I have kept almost a long as this photograph has been around.

Bob Caser

[mfg]

Possibly an Avanti Powershift automatic transmission on the workbench? (The silver color kind of threw me..but possibly it's a bare cast iron main case, unpainted steel pan, and unpainted aluminum extension housing)

[r1lark]

On 12/18/2021 at 4:15 PM, bob caser said:

Spectacular photo, thank you for posting it. I like the turquoise hue  on the wall and support. As you know I have something turquoise from your family Studebaker dealership that I have kept almost a long as this photograph has been around.

Bob Caser

Thanks Bob!