Help find Mary Anne's Avanti--gold '63 R1 with Powershift, serial 63R-2837

[Bill Pressler]

From an earlier thread:

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?48218-Small-world-time...&highlight=small+world+time

...you may remember that a lady from KS looked me up as at age 20 she ordered and took delivery of an Avanti Gold '63 Avanti with R1 and Powershift, power steering, radio, rear speaker, sun band, and windshield washers, at Wavra Motors in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She was photographed in the May '63 "Studebaker News" as the first delivery of an Avanti in that state.

The serial no. is 63R-2837; engine no. is R-2069.

Thanks to George Krem and the Studebaker National Museum which filled in the details on the car that Mary Anne wasn't sure of.

Bad news is, the car doesn't show on the Avanti Owner Association's roster of '63's, and also did not show up on their 1977 roster. Good news is, Avantis have a high survival rate.

Mary Anne wants to find her car. I'm trying to put the word out there. I'm going to try and have a small mention put in the Turning Wheels, and probably also the Avanti club magazine and possibly Hemmings.

Thanks in advance for keeping an eye/ear out for this car.

[avantilover]

Good luck with finding it, hopefully it didn't get parted out.

[JBOYLE]

A bit more bad news, it doesn't show up on the free registry on the "TheAvanti" website....

http://www.theavanti.com/register_63.html

I've taken my AOAI roster and cross checked it with that roster and you'd be surprised how many cars are on the free roster and not the club's.

[Bill Pressler]

A bit more bad news, it doesn't show up on the free registry on the "TheAvanti" website....

http://www.theavanti.com/register_63.html

I've taken my AOAI roster and cross checked it with that roster and you'd be surprised how many cars are on the free roster and not the club's.

Thanks John; I greatly appreciate your checking it out.

[Alan]

Even in the old rosters there were at least 10% with no R number. Either they had no car or had sold their car or would not give the car ID to the club.

[JBOYLE]

Any chance that others with older AOIA rosters could check before and after 1977?

It might give us an idea if it survived the "old, used car" period of its life.

Likewise, if anyone has old rosters, I'd be interested if my car shows up...

[BobPalma]

Bill: IIRC, didn't she/you say at one time the car was traded in Philadelphia...or was it Pittsburg?

Regardless, the place where Mary Anne disposed of the car should be noted here, because that will be the epicenter of locating it, so to speak.

Having been traded in the rust belt doesn't bode well, of course....gulp. BP

[Bill Pressler]

Bill: IIRC, didn't she/you say at one time the car was traded in Philadelphia...or was it Pittsburg?

Regardless, the place where Mary Anne disposed of the car should be noted here, because that will be the epicenter of locating it, so to speak.

Having been traded in the rust belt doesn't bode well, of course....gulp. BP

Bob, in '66, before moving to Philadelphia, they traded the Avanti and her husband's Buick Invicta convertible, on a new '66 Cutlass from Wilcox and Malm Oldsmobile, Grand Rapids, ND.

[BobPalma]

Bob, in '66, before moving to Philadelphia, they traded the Avanti and her husband's Buick Invicta convertible, on a new '66 Cutlass from Wilcox and Malm Oldsmobile, Grand Rapids, ND.

Thanks for the clarification, Bill. I was under the impression they did the trade after they moved.

Good. This means her Avanti has a higher chance of survival, if it wasn't introduced to the salty east at a young age. BP

[8E45E]

Thanks for the clarification, Bill. I was under the impression they did the trade after they moved.

Good. This means her Avanti has a higher chance of survival, if it wasn't introduced to the salty east at a young age. BP

....as long as it wasn't the one belonging to Grant Goldade in Bismark, ND as I stated in the previous thread on this car. It was possibly the closest gold Avanti to Grand Rapids, ND. I never did hear the fate of it after its accident, but I do hope it got repaired.

Craig

[barnlark]

Bob, in '66, before moving to Philadelphia, they traded the Avanti and her husband's Buick Invicta convertible, on a new '66 Cutlass from Wilcox and Malm Oldsmobile, Grand Rapids, ND.

I may know where that Invicta is <G>... not many of those around. I sure hope you find her Avanti, Bill. Good luck.

[Bill Pressler]

....as long as it wasn't the one belonging to Grant Goldade in Bismark, ND as I stated in the previous thread on this car. It was possibly the closest gold Avanti to Grand Rapids, ND. I never did hear the fate of it after its accident, but I do hope it got repaired.

Craig

Craig, thanks for mentioning that fellow in your previous post. Ten days ago, I emailed him (got an address from the old 'alt.autos' Stude site). Haven't heard anything back yet, but also didn't get a 'mailer daemon' or other error message back. We'll see.

[Bill Pressler]

Dave, I think I saw that car on 'the tour' you gave me a year or so ago, didn't I? Boy, an Avanti and an Invicta convertible; that's a pretty delicious combination of cars for the time, don't you think?!

Forgot to mention, Mary Anne tried to buy a Franklin Mint gold 1/24-scale Avanti online someplace last week or so, but they are sold out. She did buy and receive a 1/43-scale gold Avanti. Her selling Stude dealership, Wavra Motors, only sold two new Avantis, and Richard Quinn's friend Richard Pianca owns the second one, but the whereabout of Mary Anne's is still a mystery.

[woodysrods]

Well it sound 's like evryone is on top of this! It is a wonderful story that I hope has a Happy Ending for someone.
Keep up the search!
Just thought I would bump the thread.
Good Roads
Brian

[Bill Pressler]

Bob, in '66, before moving to Philadelphia, they traded the Avanti and her husband's Buick Invicta convertible, on a new '66 Cutlass from Wilcox and Malm Oldsmobile, Grand Rapids, ND.

CORRECTION: Wilcox and Malm Oldsmobile was in Grand FORKS, not Grand Rapids, ND. I don't know why I keep wanting to type "Rapids" by mistake!