Avanti GT Tribute

[GibsonMotorsports]

With the car now receiving some attention in the body shop, we finally have some time to get everyone caught up on our next Studebaker build. As with our last project (https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...r-to-track-car), my father is entirely responsible for the build. My role is limited to helping to share his progress with everyone here. But before getting directly into the build, a bit of background to set the proper context for this project.

For anyone not familiar with the Avanti nameplate, it makes for an interesting history lesson. The Avanti was originally produced by the Studebaker Corporation in 1962 and 1963 and was designed as “America’s only 4 passenger performance car”. With an inspiring European design with many trend setting mechanical and safety features, it should have been enormously successful. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The Automotive Division of The Studebaker Corporation was in financial trouble and all production in South Bend ceased on December 31, 1963. The rights to the Avanti name, design and tooling was purchased by two Studebaker dealers (Leon Newman and Nathan Altman) and the Avanti II remained in production by Newman and Altman until 1982 and by various other owners until 2007.

in 1982, the Avanti Corporation was sold to Steve Blake, who wanted to change the focus from luxury performance to a true high performance sports car. Blake hired Herb Adams, who was famous for developing the Z28 Camaro for the Trans Am series to develop a prototype and the pair decided that competing in the 24 Hours of Daytona would be the fastest and most impactful way to change Avanti’s brand image. The team did compete in the 24 Hours of Daytona, but in a re-bodied, tube chassis Trans Am car instead of their Avanti prototype. After Daytona, the prototype was completed with a modified Avanti body and many C4 Corvette components. It raced in the Escort, Showroom Stock series successfully in late 1983 and 1984.





For 1986, Blake hoped to boost sales by introducing a 2 passenger Avanti GT but quality concerns and financial problems began to plague the company. On June 28th, 1985 Blake filed for bankruptcy. Intrigued by Blake’s plans to introduce a 2 passenger, high performance Avanti and after discovering the detailed plans in the book “More than they Promised ----- THE STUDEBAKER STORY”, we decided to build a tribute to the Blake Avanti GT that was designed, but never built. In April 2015, a 1973 Avanti II that was in very poor condition was purchased and became the donor body for what will become the Gibson Avanti GT.