The 1965-1982 Avanti II was a continuation of Studebaker's 1963-64 Avanti.  The cars were mostly handbuilt in a corner of the old South Bend plant under former dealers Leo Newman and Nathan Altman.  The Avanti II retained the Lark convertible chassis but was altered with a small-block Chevy Corvette V-8, a higher hoodline to accommodate it, reduced-radius wheel openings and less front-end rake for a tidier appearance, and "Avanti II" badges.  Offered with "stock" paint colors and interior trims, the Avanti II could be done in virtually anything the customer wanted -- Altman loved pleasing clients this way.

This car was a great buy early on, and only a bit less so through the '70s despite steady price escalation, mostly due to inflation.  Workmanship deteriorated over time, especially after Altman's untimely death in 1976, but low production almost guarantees collectibility regardless of year.

Production Numbers for Avanti II

Engines for the 1965-1982 Avanti II

*SAE gross horsepower; all other figures SAE net

On October 1, 1982, real-estate developer Stephen H. Blake bought the rights to the Avanti II.The state of Indiana guaranteed $1.9 million in loans to Avanti, as part of the financial package offered Blake when he bought the company.  He made modifications to the car, which had remained unchanged since the production of the Avanti II model began in the mid-1960s. Rectangular headlights and modern plastic body-colored bumpers were introduced.  He also dropped the "II" in the car's name.  All subsequent cars were called the "Avanti".   1983 was a very good year with 289 unit produced, 1984 was nearly as good with 275 car produced.   In 1984 a Touring coupe was introduced, followed by a convertible.   However, paint problems plagued the Blake company, and nearly all the 1984 production had to be repainted.  This most likely caused Blake's company to declared bankruptcy and he resigned in February 1986.  I could not find the production numbers for 1985.

The company was then acquired and run from 1987 – 1991 by John J. Cafaro.   With the help of the State of Ohio, he moved all Avanti production from South Bend - its birthplace - to the Rust Belt area of Youngstown, Ohio.  In 1988 and 1989 Avanti made two-door coupes and a convertible.  The 1988 Avanti were called the "Silver Year" models, marking 25 years since the Avanti's introduction.   In 1989 Cafaro lost faith in the original coupe and introduced a four-door version, of which 90 were built.   In four years, only 405 Avantis were made at the Youngstown plant, which closed in 1991.

Mike Kelly repurchased the company in 1999.  He moved its operations from Ohio to Georgia and produced redesigned Avanti automobiles in Villa Ricafrom 2000 to 2005.  From 2004,Fordchassis and engines were used.   In October 2005 an internet report said "Avanti Motors [had] recently announced a new relationship with Ford Motor Company and was planning a big comeback.  In early 2006, Kelly moved Avanti production to a new plant in Cancun,Mexico, but the company foundered after Kelly's arrest on fraud counts in December 2006, over a very large Ponzi schemehe was running.  The last Avanti rolled off the line in Cancun, Mexico in March 2006.  All the Mustang-based Avantis used V-8 engines, with the option of a Ford V-6.  Only one 2006 Avanti was built with a Ford V-6 engine.  The factory and showroom were emptied in 2011 and have been sold.  Many extremely rare Studebaker and Avanti concepts and racing vehicles that were on the second floor of the building in Cancun have been moved elsewhere and/or sold.

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