Airlifted Avanti!

[mfg]

Studebaker's "Operation Airlift" Avanti introduction program once visited three major cities in one day.....True?

[lschuc]

FALSE!!  Operation Airlift brought two cars, both EX-serial numbered prototypes (EX-R5652, a white car with orange interior and EX-R5653, gold with red interior) were either introduced in one or two cites each day, May 1 through May 24.  

• May 1, 1962 in Boston;  
• May 2, New York;
• May 3; Philadelphia in the morning,  and Wash. DC in the afternoon;
• May 4, Pittsburgh;
• May 7, Detroit in the morning, and Cleveland in the afternoon;
• May 8, Dayton, Ohio;
• May 9, Chicago in the morning, and Minneapolis in the afternoon;
• May 10, Omaha;
• May 11, Kansas City in the morning, and St. Louis in the afternoon;
• May 14, Memphis in the morning, and Atlanta in the afternoon;
• May 15, Miami;
• May 16, Tampa in the morning, and New Orleans in the afternoon;
• May 17, Fort Worth, Texas;
• May 18, Houston;
• May 22, Los Angeles in the morning, and San Francisco in the afternoon;
• May 24, Portland, Oregon, in the morning, and Seattle in the afternoon.

[mfg]

False it is!...........I wonder how the truck hauling the portable bleachers and other props was able to keep up with the plane's tight schedule?

[brad]

We have the Gold one here waiting on a future restoration. Lots of differences from production.  Hand made fiberglass strips showing on the back side of major body panels and floor. Midland-Ross tagged frame....etc.

 

[studegary]

1 hour ago, mfg said:

False it is!...........I wonder how the truck hauling the portable bleachers and other props was able to keep up with the plane's tight schedule?

I imagine that the bleachers were sourced locally and the props went on the plane with the Avantis. 

[lschuc]

You're probably correct, StudeGary....  bleachers were probably sourced locally.  They would take some time to move and set up. 

[mfg]

...That's why I found the third paragraph of the original South Bend Tribune news article so interesting! (Perhaps the Stude trucks involved had "R" engines??)