Shinka Through the Lens

Avanti in Italian means “forward.” Studebaker Corporation (South Bend, Indiana) President Sherwood Egbert’s vision to fuel company sales was to create a radical new car for the Studebaker line. In early 1962, he tasked famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy to create the design. In just a short period, Loewy and his design team consisting of John Epstein, Robert Andrews and Tom Kellogg presented Egbert with his futuristic design and the Avanti was born. It was fabricated in fiberglass over a steel frame, a new technology at the time, and powered by the top-of-the-line Studebaker 289 R2 Paxton supercharged engine. Paxton President and racing legend Andy Granatelli joined the team to help promote its performance image. It was touted as “America’s Only Four-Passenger Performance Car.” This car is Number 62R 1001 with matching supercharged engine number R1002, and is the first production Avanti made by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana.