Avanti!
While visiting my very good pal Randy Panno, proprietor of R&J Auto in scenic Escondido, California, I came across something you don’t see every day - A dragged-out ‘63 Avanti.
The original Avanti, built for just two model years by Studebaker, was available with powerplants ranging from 240 horsepower for the “base” engine all the way up to the Paxton-supercharged R-2 that was rated at 289, all based on the same 232 cubic inch V-8. The customer car in Randy’s shop still has the factory 232, but with a somewhat stouter Novi head unit pushing boost.
