"Pre" Avanti!

[mfg]

Raymond Loewy's personal 1957 BMW 507 custom, of which the Studebaker Avanti received many styling cues from, actually had a 'production' Studebaker exterior part on it!......What was that Studebaker item?

[studegary]

The grille mesh is the only thing that I can think of that this might apply to, unless you mean basic/common things like the windshield wipers.  

I wonder who did the design work on that custom.  It doesn't look like something done by Loewy himself. 

[mfg]

6 hours ago, studegary said:

The grille mesh is the only thing that I can think of that this might apply to, unless you mean basic/common things like the windshield wipers.  

I wonder who did the design work on that custom.  It doesn't look like something done by Loewy himself. 

Not the grille mesh, and not a nondescript item like windshield wipers, etc.........Anyone else have an idea?

[r1lark]

The V8 emblem on the front?

 

[studegary]

2 hours ago, r1lark said:

The V8 emblem on the front?

 

That is probably a good answer.  The pictures that I have of the car, from Loewy Designs, do not show a V8 on the nose.  The one that you show almost looks like the V8 is air-brushed on and not a real emblem.    

[r1lark]

Some pics of the car show it without the V8 emblem, and some show it with the emblem. Here is a neat period photo with "the" man himself, that shows the emblem:

 

[mfg]

12 hours ago, r1lark said:

The V8 emblem on the front?

 

The 'V8' emblem on the front of Loewy's BMW is the CORRECT answer....Well done Paul!....It looks to me to be the same emblem Studebaker used on the rear 1/4 panel of '53-'54 Commander C/K's!