The 2001 model Avanti rolled off the assembly line on October 7, 2000 in Villa Rica, Ga., continuing a tradition that began in South Bend in 1962 in the dying days of Studebaker Corporation. The Avant was produced by the Studebaker company and since then sports car enthusiasts have adored the Avanti, a stylish coupe that has always turned heads, rarely turned a profit yet refuses to die. This rebirth of the Avanti retains much of the classic, original design. Below: Avanti car models are assembled at the new Avanti Motor Corporation production plant in Cancun, Mexico on Monday Oct. 23, 2006. The production plant, which replaced the one in Villa Rica, Georgia, planned to produce about 400 cars a year. 2003 XUV