Avanti Summary

[psdenno]

Here's another Avanti video to add to your collection.

 

[Thom]

At what time did the square headlights appear on the Avanti?

[wdaly]

1964 model year.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

The first Avanti with square headlights was serial number R4892.  Note that there were some Avantis with higher serial numbers with round headlights.  Another question one could ask is what is the serial number of the last round-headlight Avanti.  I don't know the answer to this.

--StudeDwight

[Nelson]

Dwight. I used to wonder why there were round light Avantis after 4892 but I’m pretty certain I figured it out. I believe body shells or partially fitted or partially completed Avantis were pulled from the assembly line and put into repair bays due to assembly issued or lack of certain optional parts etc. These cars languished in a repair bay until the required repair was done or part arrived. Some round light 64’s are almost all 64 ie post 4892 and some are practically all pre 4892. This tells me there was no pool of round light bodies they needed to get rid of.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

7 hours ago, Nelson said:

Dwight. I used to wonder why there were round light Avantis after 4892 but I’m pretty certain I figured it out. I believe body shells or partially fitted or partially completed Avantis were pulled from the assembly line and put into repair bays due to assembly issued or lack of certain optional parts etc. These cars languished in a repair bay until the required repair was done or part arrived. Some round light 64’s are almost all 64 ie post 4892 and some are practically all pre 4892. This tells me there was no pool of round light bodies they needed to get rid of.

From what I have read Studebaker built bodies and stored them in a warehouse and pulled them for final assembly of the automobile in a LIFO order (last in, first out).  Bodies were assigned body numbers as the body was completed, just before storage.  This was probably true of all Studebakers, Avantis or otherwise.  The same must have been true of frames, with the serial number plate spot welded to the Avanti frame as it was built.  So, with the LIFO retrieval system of bodies and frames the serial numbers got out of order with the body numbers.

A repair bay may have accounted for some of the oddities too.

--Dwight

Edited July 15, 2022 by Dwight FitzSimons

[psdenno]

This article may add to the confusion....

https://www.studebaker-info.org/AVDB1/R4000/the1964avanti.html