How many post Studebaker Avantis were built?

[ddub]

Anyone know the total of Avanti IIs and later Avantis built?

[Gunslinger]

According to John Hull's book on the Avanti there would have been 3540 post-Studebaker Avantis built, including three AVX's. There could be some discrepancies in that as some records might be incomplete, serial numbers were occasionally skipped in production, etc.

[SN-60]

I believe their best post Studebaker year was '83......really too bad that paint issue hit them so hard......it was like Avanti was 'on it's way' before that!

[Avantidon]

John's numbers are accurate as he has the records.

[ddub]

Thanks for the input. I wondered if there were more Stude Avantis than the later ones.

[Chris_Dresbach]

Thanks for the input. I wondered if there were more Stude Avantis than the later ones.

I was just thinking that myself, and if I had to guess I would say probably more post-Studebaker ones just because they had a longer production run.

[Avantidon]

Chris, since there was limited yearly production of 2nd Generation Avantis, although the production run was longer, there were less of these cars produced than there were of the original ones. The 63/64 Studebaker Avantis out number the 2nd generation cars by about 400 or so.

[ddub]

I was just thinking that myself, and if I had to guess I would say probably more post-Studebaker ones just because they had a longer production run.

That I know. From "The Studebaker Avanti Production Data" monograph from SNM:

1963 = 3834
1964 = 809

Total = 4643
Hence 1103 more Stude Avantis than later ones. Total of both is 8183 all years.

[Gunslinger]

It seems that Nate Altman recognized what Studebaker didn't...that trying to build the Avanti in a mass production effort was an exercise in futility. There was simply too much handwork and man hours involved to make it a profitable effort at a reasonable price point. Maybe it was simply a recognition of reality by Nate. Regardless we owe Nate Altman and his partners and employees a big debt for what they accomplished.

[Avantidon]

What Nate Altman and Leo Newman were able to do was make a profit on the small number of cars they built each year. We really do owe them a big THANK YOU for what they did.

[Gunslinger]

No question...but just to take a Devil's Advocate point of view here's a question with no correct answer...it didn't happen this way so it's all an intellectual exercise:

If Nate Altman never built an Avanti II and no post-Studebaker Avantis were built...would the values of Studebaker Avantis be enhanced due to a far lower production total? The pool of available Avantis would be much smaller than the total number of prospective Avanti owners, so would the laws of supply and demand result in significantly higher values? Did the numbers of Avanti II's dilute the values of Avantis overall?

[JBOYLE]

Total of both is 8183 all years.

Which is less than nearly all production years of the Corvette (I don't have my book at hand, but I'd guess you'd have to go back to the late 50s to see a year with fewer Corvettes)...and far less than the production totals of other iconic postwar cars that are gaining traction in the collector car world...like the 63-65 Riveria)..

Based on production alone, Avantis should be much more expensive than they are.

[wcortesi]

Based on production alone, Avantis should be much more expensive than they are.

Unfortunately, I think it comes down to supply and demand. We love them, but there are a lot more people who don't! They didn't make a lot of Pontiac Aztec's (for obvious reasons), but I doubt they will be collectable anytime soon.
They made almost as many 1969-70 Boss 302's as the total run of Avanti's, but try to buy one for under $30K.
On a personal note, I've been trying to find an Avanti to buy for the last month. I've found more than one for sale, but I haven't been able to find the one I want to take home.