About
Designing the Fabulous Avanti
02/05/06
Hemmings Classic Car, January 2006
Industrial design legend Raymond Loewy and the Studebaker marque are intrinsically linked. By the early 60's Studebaker was on the financial ropes. In 1962, Studebaker's new president Sherwood Egbert invited Loewy out to South Bend to discuss a sophisticated sports coupe that would boost the Indiana marque's image. The financial terms of Loewy's comeback agreement are not recorded but he amazingly agreed to deliver the design proposals in just 40 days. In Studebaker's heyday, their most recognized and profitable designs were all products of Loewy's South Bend studio, I.E. '47 Starlight Coupe , '50 Champion and '53 Starliner.
The gestation of the new Avanti glassfibre Avanti GT is legendary. Loewy flew back to his Palm Springs dream home and signed up his ideal team for the challenge. They included his multi-talented aide John Ebstein to supervise the experienced clay modeler Bob Andrews whose resume included the 'step down' Hudson, plus a young boat designer and former Art Center graduate Tom Kellogg.
Working literally around the clock, in a rented Palm Springs bungalow, the Loewy team was able to do the impossible. By March 27, a mere eight days after design work began, they had created a clay scale model with two different sides: one a two-seat sports car, the other a four-seat GT coupe. Loewy flew it to South Bend, where Egbert settled on the four-passenger idea. Amazingly, on April 27 - just five weeks after development began - the Studebaker Board of Directors were given a presentation of the new car in the form of a full-sized clay model. They gave the go-ahead to prepare it for production.
The Avanti didn't save Studebaker. But Loewy's Avanti remains one of the most beautiful and exciting cars ever created. Egbert summed up Loewy's Avanti best in an advertisement where he boldly stated, "You are looking at a new take-off point for the American automobile. It is the Avanti by Studebaker. It is a prestige car, a fast car and certainly the most advanced car produced in America today."
Loewy, a '97 inductee into Detroit's Automotive Hall of Fame, continues to influence leading automotive manufacturers and car enthusiasts today.