Avanti Values?

[aardvark]

Well, it's good for me, no doubt, since I own one ... but for those involved? 

[mfg]

8 hours ago, aardvark said:

Well, it's good for me, no doubt, since I own one ... but for those involved? 

  “Those involved” certainly could be spending their $$$$ on worse things!!

[aardvark]

I've said my peace.. There needs be a semblance of sanity in spending.

[mfg]

1 hour ago, aardvark said:

I've said my peace.. There needs be a semblance of sanity in spending.

Their money… their spending!

[aardvark]

Yup... Ya can't cure.... Never mind.

[Skip Lackie]

On 12/3/2025 at 9:59 AM, Footer said:

I think any Avanti that is improved on or brought back to life is good for the whole Avanti community, regardless of the reason for doing it.  Mike

Agreed/  Nicely put.

[Skip Lackie]

On 11/25/2025 at 11:37 PM, aardvark said:

Good for You and I am truly happy things work like that for You.

It hasn't gone like that for us.

I've had 67 vehicles... Only 1 bought new (first car) and I ran it into the ground for 12 years and 250k miles. I figure I got my money out of that car .  The rest were to get around but always in my mind has been to sell later for more or use it up until it gets hauled off on a hook. Since I've been blessed mechanically It was possible to do this...

Everyones situation and abilities vary.

As you said, everyone's situation is different.  In my whole life, I've only owned 20 vehicles -- and I still own half of them.  I buy vehicles (in any condition) that I want, restore/repair/improve them -- and then keep them forever.  In that circumstance, vehicle values are simply irrelevant.

[aardvark]

Where I agree with You,.. in a lot of respects I just can't.

[Skip Lackie]

Certainly the price of cars (or parts, etc) is a legitimate topic of discussion.  And most of us have budget limits on our hobbies.  But if one is dependent on the profits from the sale of a car(s), then it strikes me as less of a hobby and more of a business.

[Footer]

Yes Skip, and as a business the goal is to maximize profit, and cutting corners is one way to do that. Like Aardvark says, his profit is in the purchase, but not all sellers may have the same scruples.  Mike

[aardvark]

First off...I would never mislead a buyer.

Also during the purchase I never try to cheat or beat up the Seller on an offer.        In fact on my '02', there was no negotiation and I paid the Sellers full price..

But yes, My Hobbies are Business transactions. The two must cross paths or I cannot afford to be into these cars.

[Nelson]

I see Avantis that I think are solid restoration projects at give away prices. The reason these don’t sell is they are typically considered a money pit. There are salvageable Avantis for $3500 and the same condition mid sixties Corvette might be $20 to 25k. Maybe if Avanti values go up many more will be saved as there is some justification to spend the money to restore them.

[aardvark]

Nelson... Agree it's usually a financial decision, and I'm seeing the values increase on the  '63-4' models...(can't speak for the other models,(cept '01'-'07) since I don't follow them). A completed and very good car in that time range can bring $30-40k depending on condition and options (The R2 bringing more). These prices bring the Avanti into a sensible range to consider resto'ing if the subject  isn't too far gone.

So what if You took 2 ea. of the $3600 examples and made 1. Is that sensible? You'll likely still need to buy parts and then labor needs considered.

Mine, I bought a fine example of a '63' R2. I paid $17k w/ shipping .. It needs some small things, but I consider it worth $35k. To me, this is a ''Keeper'' but there's room on the top if I ever decided to sell off.

But others here are not interested in all of the math and spend due to their Love of the vehicle. I guess that's a personal choice but I can't do that. If I did, (as said in multiple) I couldn't afford to be a collector.

But we ''Road On!''

 

[Dwight FitzSimons]

"So what if You took 2 ea. of the $3600 examples and made 1. Is that sensible? You'll likely still need to buy parts and then labor needs considered."

This makes sense only if one of the Avantis is missing some major parts, like seats, engine, etc.

More typically, these project Avantis are more or less complete, but need the same things: engine work, upholstery, brakes, exhaust, suspension, hog troughs, etc.  They've all been the victim of "deferred maintenance."

I am currently doing these repairs to R-4228 (R1, AT, PS, AC - a desirable combination) and it is a seemingly endless task list.  When I get it to the point of being a car that someone will want to drive (reliable, safe) I'll sell it (for a loss) to someone who will take the car the rest of the way.  My justification: I will have "saved" an Avanti.

I have two other Studebakers ('64 Avanti R3 & '56 Golden Hawk) currently underway, so time is short for working on R-4228.

--Dwight, powered by Studebaker

 

[ronmanfredi]

1 hour ago, Dwight FitzSimons said:

"So what if You took 2 ea. of the $3600 examples and made 1. Is that sensible? You'll likely still need to buy parts and then labor needs considered."

This makes sense only if one of the Avantis is missing some major parts, like seats, engine, etc.

More typically, these project Avantis are more or less complete, but need the same things: engine work, upholstery, brakes, exhaust, suspension, hog troughs, etc.  They've all been the victim of "deferred maintenance."

I am currently doing these repairs to R-4228 (R1, AT, PS, AC - a desirable combination) and it is a seemingly endless task list.  When I get it to the point of being a car that someone will want to drive (reliable, safe) I'll sell it (for a loss) to someone who will take the car the rest of the way.  My justification: I will have "saved" an Avanti.

I have two other Studebakers ('64 Avanti R3 & '56 Golden Hawk) currently underway, so time is short for working on R-4228.

--Dwight, powered by Studebaker

 

I'm about to complete a "save" restoration on a 1989 Conv with a musician history.  It's going up for sale in January to someone who wants that year model car in great condition.  Meanwhile, I just bought a 63 R2 in Black that has been going through a full restoration for several years for $15K.  The owners age and health have made him decide to sell it to someone who can take it the rest of the way, and that's me.  

[mfg]

4 hours ago, ronmanfredi said:

I'm about to complete a "save" restoration on a 1989 Conv with a musician history.  It's going up for sale in January to someone who wants that year model car in great condition.  Meanwhile, I just bought a 63 R2 in Black that has been going through a full restoration for several years for $15K.  The owners age and health have made him decide to sell it to someone who can take it the rest of the way, and that's me.  

Looks to be a real nice Stude!

Auto or four speed?

Very reasonable price I think.

[aardvark]

Ron... Sounds like Your buying them right and bringing them back.

[ronmanfredi]

22 hours ago, mfg said:

Looks to be a real nice Stude!

Auto or four speed?

Very reasonable price I think.

Rebuilt original Auto.  Twin Traction.

[Bob Preston]

There’s another site called classic.com that provides valuations based on sales. Is it more accurate than Hagerty or BAT, who knows? Just another data point. 
 

Because of a nearly infinite number of variables it is next to impossible to say that a 1963 R2 with a 4-speed, 50K miles  in #2 condition (who’s #2?) is worth X dollars. 
 

On the subject of turning a profit, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. One is the true cost of the project. Everyone I know always wins in Vegas. The reality is that it just isn’t possible. Another is that what one believes their vehicle is worth isn’t what a buyer thinks it is worth. Additionally, when the value of an item increases over time, it is likely that the value of similar items have increased as well. 
 

A hobby that has to be a profitable business venture, is a job, not a hobby. There are certainly a number of big and small operations that are buying and selling classic cars. Most appear to be doing quite well. For someone engaged in that activity, escalating prices would seem to be a desirable trend. 
 

I’ve had endless discussions with my dad about stock valuations and even the price of apples. It’s difficult to know if it just doesn’t make sense to him, if he truly doesn’t understand it, if he’s stuck in the past or if he just wants to carry on a discussion without realizing that he’s presenting himself as being somewhat uninformed. Similarly, a discussion about Avanti values will require a look at data and what is actually occurring in the market, rather than opinions and individual circumstances. 

[aardvark]

Bob..

2 points on Your info/

1) A Hobby and a Job can be one in the same especially if You love what You do.. A Hobby can even be a 9-5 option if retired and dedicated to it. Also there is no reason to think a Hobby cannot show a profit, and be considered in a Business like Fashion. To not do so is throwing money away.. which is fine with me if the thrown cash is headed my direction by me buying at around 50% of said value.. And those deals are out there and offered by sellers. I don't have to lowball Sellers.. They lowball the items themselves.

2) Car values are as you say variable and somewhat dictated by the History of Sales. It's the only indictor we have.       Sooo .....there needs to be a Honesty in valuation, but thats up to the Buyer to determine. And yes, the prices cannot be determined by being uninformed or blinded by a Love of something vs actual market value. 

[Bob Preston]

The quote “Price is what you pay, value is what you get” is attributed to Warren Buffet/Benjamin Graham. Price is arbitrary, value is fundamental. Determining the value of a stock is difficult and complicated, however getting a reasonably accurate result is possible. Finding stocks that were priced below their value made Mr Buffet a wealthy man. 
 
Determining the value of a 60 year old vehicle may be as difficult as determining the value of a publicly traded company. Each of the ~4500, ‘63-‘64 Avanti's would need to be evaluated on an individual basis. At this point in their lives, no 2 cars are going to be in the same condition. This makes it unreasonable to state a value for, say all ‘63 R1’s. Some are projects, both big and small, some will be DIY jobs others will be farmed out at current shop rates. Some will be nice drivers, others may win a ribbon at a local car show, a few will be trailer queens. 

True or not, it is often said in the classic car collector world, that you’re better off buying a car that someone else fixed or restored. Not everyone wants a project. They want a car that can be driven for fun and shown simply for the sake of showing it to others. They are frequently bought with disposable income and little to no intent of ever being sold. 

What we end up with are broad strokes of ratings from 1-4, when it should probably be 1-100. Then we get an average for each group. It’s the best we can do unless we have each car appraised and then add that information to the registry. 

[Footer]

I think that demand probably drives the price more than anything.  It would be interesting to know the average age of Avanti owners. Are there enough younger fans out there to replace those of us who will eventually “age out” and sell in the next 5 or 10 years?  Will the market get flooded?  If demand drops then auction prices may drop.  You can bet restoration prices won’t drop. Guess it’s on us to keep the Studebaker and Avanti story alive so there is a healthy supply of future owners.   Mike

[aardvark]

Footer.

I'm not so concerned about the average age of an Avanti Collector.

In the future I have to assume (like all very old collectibles) there will be a market for them based on rarity and condition.