2002 Studebaker Avanti Convertible Is Secretly An LS1-Powered Pontiac Firebird

Wait, that’s not what a Studebaker Avanti is supposed to look like. And it’s a modern-looking convertible… that’s got to be a Corvette body kit, right? No, it’s actually a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, and we’ve discovered the modern-day Avanti Motor Company and its quirky creations, which turned out to be an interesting story.

The Studebaker Avanti was clearly a car ahead of its time. The company was going through a rough patch in terms of sales and commissioned this new model to spice things up. The Avanti, which means Forward in Italian, was styled by famed French-American industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the creator of Coca-Cola’s legendary bottle.

The Avanti was a personal luxury coupe, a halo model. It was also marketed as the fastest production car in the world after a modified example with the supercharged 289ci (4.7L) V8 reaching 170 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. It was bodied like a Corvette, and the interior was like an Italian or French car, with single seats and simple circular dials.

Sadly, the Studebaker factory closed in December 1963, and by that time, only a few thousand Avantis had been made, about 1,200 in 1962 and less than 4,600 examples in the last year. However, bankruptcy wasn’t the end.

The rights to the Avanti model name, the tooling, and the Studebaker truck parts, as well as the factory, were bought by local Studebaker dealers. Between 1965 and 1985, they produced an Avanti with the same old chassis and body but fitted with new engines: starting with the 327 from the Corvette, followed by the 40, the small-block 350 and eventually the 305. They also made just one example with a Roush V6.

After 1985, the Avanti switched from a Studebaker-designed chassis to the Chevrolet Monte Carlo until this was switched to the Caprice in 1987. That’s why you’ll find 4-door Avantis online.

Post-2000, we’re dealing with a new Avanti company, one which used the Pontiac Firebird platform as well as the Ford Mustang later on. One such car has just come up for sale on Bring A Trailer, a 2001 Avanti Convertible. It still has that trademark front-end design, but the body is much longer, 185.5 inches from bumper to bumper.

When new, something like this would have set you back $69,900, but I doubt bidding will reach anywhere near that level. The Studebaker Avanti used to be considered a true American exotic, and there can’t be that many 2001 examples made, so you’re at least getting exclusivity.

As we mentioned, it’s based on a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am and its 5.7-liter LS1 engine is thusly rated at 310 hp, sent to the rear tires via a 4L60E automatic. It’s got some rust and an oil leak, plus the interior build quality is questionable, but she can still be a decent cruiser, and just check out that hood mechanism.