AM/FM RADIO

[Rick Allen]

My recently purchased '64 round headlight R2 was trailer-ed home on Friday, most of the rest of the car I brought home in boxes, the interior is gutted except for the dash.  The car was in a storage trailer when I first saw it so Friday was the 1^st day I actually saw it in the daylight. 

To my surprise which I didn't notice in the trailer, I see it has an AM/FM radio installed with the rear speaker; I had previously ordered the dealer invoice and production order paper work and saw a rear speaker listed but no radio at all listed.  Looking on the Avanti Owner’s Asso. web page, a radio isn’t listed under std. equipment and only lists a “push button” radio on the optional equipment list., not specifying AM or AM/FM type.

So, my questions are:

Was my AM/FM radio dealer installed and if so, why was only the rear speaker installed at the factory and not any radio at all, as the “born reports” show?

Next, how rare or uncommon were the AM/FM radios back in ‘63/early ’64 models? And what was the listed cost for that radio?

[Gunslinger]

I'm guessing the radio was installed post-South Bend.  It would have been specified on the production order if it was factory installed.  AM radios were standard equipment or could be specifically be a "radio delete" option with a blank plate covering the dash opening.  It could have been installed by the dealer or by a later owner.  When I had a '63 Avanti I installed an original AM-FM radio I bought during the '70s or early '80s...yes...they were still available brand new at that time!  The swap was not difficult.  

The AM/FM radio was a 1964 option...1963 cars would all have come with AM only radios unless dealer installed at the buyer's request.  It's possible some of the transitional '63/'64 cars might be factory equipped with an AM/FM but only a production order would verify that.  

[Rick Allen]

41 minutes ago, Gunslinger said:

I'm guessing the radio was installed post-South Bend.  It would have been specified on the production order if it was factory installed.  AM radios were standard equipment or could be specifically be a "radio delete" option with a blank plate covering the dash opening.  It could have been installed by the dealer or by a later owner.  When I had a '63 Avanti I installed an original AM-FM radio I bought during the '70s or early '80s...yes...they were still available brand new at that time!  The swap was not difficult.  

The AM/FM radio was a 1964 option...1963 cars would all have come with AM only radios unless dealer installed at the buyer's request.  It's possible some of the transitional '63/'64 cars might be factory equipped with an AM/FM but only a production order would verify that.  

Thanks for your reply.  So you feel AM radio was standard and being standard equipment would not be listed on the production order or dealer invoice but the rear speaker being an option, it would be listed (which is is)?

[regnalbob]

An AM radio was not standard, it was an $85.00 option. AM-FM was not an option for 1963.

The following is a note from the 1963 Studebaker dealer price list.

A rear speaker could be ordered without a radio for $12.95.

Factory installed AM-FM listed for $154.50.  Dealer cost was $117.50.

Uninstalled dealer price was $149.50.   Dealer cost was $113.62.

106 AM-FM radios were installed in 1964 Avantis.

 

[Rick Allen]

56 minutes ago, regnalbob said:

An AM radio was not standard, it was an $85.00 option. AM-FM was not an option for 1963.

The following is a note from the 1963 Studebaker dealer price list.

A rear speaker could be ordered without a radio for $12.95.

Factory installed AM-FM listed for $154.50.  Dealer cost was $117.50.

Uninstalled dealer price was $149.50.   Dealer cost was $113.62.

106 AM-FM radios were installed in 1964 Avantis.

 

That's a lot of good information that I was looking for,,,thx

[Skip Lackie]

On 3/14/2023 at 4:27 PM, regnalbob said:

An AM radio was not standard, it was an $85.00 option. AM-FM was not an option for 1963.

 

Factory installed AM-FM listed for $154.50.  Dealer cost was $117.50.

Uninstalled dealer price was $149.50.   Dealer cost was $113.62.

 

 

Interesting data.  Studebaker must have had a lot of AM/FM radios left over.  The 1966 accessories price list shows the dealer price for an uninstalled AM/FM had dropped to $97.94.

[mfg]

You do have the Studebaker ('64 style) AM-FM....most later Canadian versions had black push buttons.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

I believe that 1965 Studebaker radios (including AM/FM) had white knobs and pushbuttons, and 1966 radios had black knobs & buttons.

--Dwight