Chris' other Eye Candy 12/22 MANY Avanti sketches

[Chris_Dresbach]

And how we know it.

Notice that all the prototype sketches show convt. models. Wonder why the change to only hard top models?[?]

Chris Dresbach

[sals54]

I LOVE those sketches. Fabulous designs. Its rather exciting to see how the different styling cues manifested themselves from doodle to sketch to reality.

sals54

[Steve T]

That first roadster looks like it's eyeing you suspiciously!

All the open-top designs remind me of the roadsters Virgil Exner Jr was doing in the mid-sixties (for an example, look up the 1965 T101 Bugatti he designed, which was actually built and, I think, still exists). Wonder if there was some connection between Loewy's designers and the Exners leading up to the Avanti project?

S.

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by Steve T
Wonder if there was some connection between Loewy's designers and the Exners leading up to the Avanti project?

I couldn't imagine it. Exner Sr. got fired by Raymond Loewy, and severed any ties with him after the 1947 Studebakers came out. I have my doubts Loewy would have hired anyone with ties to the Exner who he felt betrayed him.

Craig

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by Chris_Dresbach
Wonder why the change to only hard top models?[?]

Apparently, there actually was a T-top in the works! And plans supposedly exist in the museum archives[:0]



Craig

[JBOYLE]

quote:Originally posted by Chris_Dresbach
Wonder why the change to only hard top models?[?]

Money (probably..I wasn't there but that's my guess).
Studebaker management was probably smart enough to know that there was no way the Avanti with circa 1953 underpinnings was ever going to be a Corvette-style sportscar. So if they were going for the "personal luxury" segment (T-Bird and the soon to be introduced Riveria) they figured that the convertible wouldn't be the most popular body style. Also, they were trying to pitch safety with the roll bar and other features.

So what came first...the money concerns which made them focus on safety, or the safety angle that also happened to save money?[?]

63 Avanti R1 2788
1914 Stutz Bearcat
(George Barris replica)

Washington State

[Steve T]

That four-headlight Avanti nose is interesting...looks rather like a mid-90s Acura Integra (a car which got absolutely creamed by the style critics when it was introduced!).

Yeah, I knew about the falling-out between Exner Sr and Loewy; my musings about a connection would be between subordinates, not between Mr L and Mr E themselves. Whose sketches are these?

S.

[Sdude]

Sherwood Egbert started with a picture of an XKE and told Loewy to "make something like that". Hence the convertibles in the early sketches. It is my understanding that it was Tom Kellogg's idea to add a back seat. Wonder where Mustang got the idea????

Jon Stalnaker
Editor, Hawk Talks
Karel Staple Chapter SDC

[sals54]

Another styling cue of note is the rake on the windshield in the Targa sketch. Its angle is substantially more inline with todays cars. It would have made the overall design of the Avanti live longer as it would have been even more avant-garde for its time, yet further transcend the designs of its day or of the decades that followed. Its hard to enhance the Avanti looks, but that windshield would have been an improvement.IMHO.

sals54

[Steve T]

Perhaps Mr Kellogg had taken note of the huge leap in Thunderbird sales achieved by Ford when they inserted that extra row of seats in '58...

S.

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by sals54
Its hard to enhance the Avanti looks, but that windshield would have been an improvement.IMHO.

Legend has it, Sherwood Egbert banged his head on a prototype while entering, and it was his insistence the windshield have less rake to it. He was also personally responsible for the small size sun visors as well.

Craig

[kurtruk]

Notice how close the last blue sketch is to the recently posted (elsewhere) 1955 Patent drawing of Loewy's Hawk (?)

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=36209

KURTRUK
(read it backwards)




Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong. -A. Lincoln

[TedsHawk]

not an Avanti but the looks like they magazine was speculating it would be the "new fiberglass Studebaker" anyone seen this before? Looks like a new Hawk. from the June 1962 Motor Trend


1957 Golden Hawk
"Studebaker? they dont make them anymore"

[Chris_Dresbach]

quote:Originally posted by TedsHawk

not an Avanti but the looks like they magazine was speculating it would be the "new fiberglass Studebaker" anyone seen this before? Looks like a new Hawk. from the June 1962 Motor Trend


1957 Golden Hawk
"Studebaker? they dont make them anymore"

That looks like a prototype Avanti sketch. Compare the hub caps to the ones in sketches 2-4 and the nose to sketch 7.

Chris Dresbach

[sals54]

It looks more like the Scepter concept. Different front end, but look at the profile. Very much the same. The GT inspired front grill is great. I love it. Has a very Ferrari flavor to it. 61 Ferrari 250 GT California.... ala Ferris Bueller???

sals54