986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post

Kevfra · 05-07-2008, 04:33 PM

Not that I'm all that old at 53~! But I have always collected cool cars, and have had many amazing machines. I spent twenty years restoring classic Mercedes and such. However I'm not going to go through the whole list but rather just mention one that I drove for eleven years beginning when I was eighteen - the original Studebaker Avanti. Amazing car.

Mine was indeed the original - one of three custom ordered - a 1963 with black on black and woodgrain interior. For you kids out there the Avanti introduced disc brakes to the US, introduced Borg Warner, set the world speed record for a production car at 178.8 by Andy Granatelli who went on to STP fame. Still holds the world record as longest lasting body design in production. It had a hill-holder clutch pedal which was quite handy growing up in San Francisco. When you pushed the clutch pedal and the brake you could take your foot off the brake and as long as the clucth was in the car wouldn't move - no fast jump from brake to gas when ready to take off. Had a nice blower on it and I mean supercharger not turbo.

Ian Fleming originally wrote James Bond as driving an Avanti, but succombed to native pressures that it be a domestic car for the English Bond and so the Austin came into play. But Fleming ordered a custom Avanti car - the second of the three including mine, and it is on display in the Ian Fleming museum. The third was totaled almost immediately upon delivery.

The body was fiberglass and was designed by Raymond Lowry who was at that time designing our rocket ships. Not one straight line on the car.

The features go on and on forever and are worth some study if you are a fan of classic cars. Fabulous automobile, and when I stepped on the pedal mothers would grab their children from the sidewalks there was so much intake roar. Damn thing went through engine mounts like breakfast cereal. 70% of the weight was up front, and the tires were old bias play 700 which means skinny, pretty much couldn't drive the thing on a damp road because the ass would pass the nose every time.

Just an interesting side note... this was the car that was supposed to save Studebaker, but it couldn't. Ford killed them. Studebaker had the fabulous Borg Warner tranny and Ford had crap, and wanted to license the BW from Studebaker. Well Studebaker refused and Ford launched a campaign to destroy them. Wherever there was a Studebaker dealership Ford opened one across the street and undercut the prices until Studebaker folded. Damn shame - they had a lot of nice cars.

End of lecture kids.

05-07-2008, 04:33 PM	#103
Kevfra Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Francisco Posts: 66	You kids today... Not that I'm all that old at 53~! But I have always collected cool cars, and have had many amazing machines. I spent twenty years restoring classic Mercedes and such. However I'm not going to go through the whole list but rather just mention one that I drove for eleven years beginning when I was eighteen - the original Studebaker Avanti. Amazing car. Mine was indeed the original - one of three custom ordered - a 1963 with black on black and woodgrain interior. For you kids out there the Avanti introduced disc brakes to the US, introduced Borg Warner, set the world speed record for a production car at 178.8 by Andy Granatelli who went on to STP fame. Still holds the world record as longest lasting body design in production. It had a hill-holder clutch pedal which was quite handy growing up in San Francisco. When you pushed the clutch pedal and the brake you could take your foot off the brake and as long as the clucth was in the car wouldn't move - no fast jump from brake to gas when ready to take off. Had a nice blower on it and I mean supercharger not turbo. Ian Fleming originally wrote James Bond as driving an Avanti, but succombed to native pressures that it be a domestic car for the English Bond and so the Austin came into play. But Fleming ordered a custom Avanti car - the second of the three including mine, and it is on display in the Ian Fleming museum. The third was totaled almost immediately upon delivery. The body was fiberglass and was designed by Raymond Lowry who was at that time designing our rocket ships. Not one straight line on the car. The features go on and on forever and are worth some study if you are a fan of classic cars. Fabulous automobile, and when I stepped on the pedal mothers would grab their children from the sidewalks there was so much intake roar. Damn thing went through engine mounts like breakfast cereal. 70% of the weight was up front, and the tires were old bias play 700 which means skinny, pretty much couldn't drive the thing on a damp road because the ass would pass the nose every time. Just an interesting side note... this was the car that was supposed to save Studebaker, but it couldn't. Ford killed them. Studebaker had the fabulous Borg Warner tranny and Ford had crap, and wanted to license the BW from Studebaker. Well Studebaker refused and Ford launched a campaign to destroy them. Wherever there was a Studebaker dealership Ford opened one across the street and undercut the prices until Studebaker folded. Damn shame - they had a lot of nice cars. End of lecture kids.