| Avanti Celebrity Owners |
| Year |
Celebrity |
Description |
| 1963 |
Shirley Bassey |
Originally bought by the singer and
taken to England. |
| 1964 |
Johnny Carson |
The "Tonight Show" host. Shown with Andy Granatelli
and the stp race car. |
| 1963 |
Richard Carpenter  |
Member of the 1970's singing duo the
"Carpenters." R2 4-speed |
| 1963 |
Alice Cooper |
Bob Ziff's 1963 R2, 4-speed was bought
from the rock star and picked up at his house in Paradise Valley,
AZ in August of 1986. |
| 1963 |
"Jimmy" Dean |
Of pork sausage fame, was also a popular
entertainer in the 1950s. |
| 1963 |
Dick Van Dyke |
In the Petersen Auto Museum in Los
Angeles, California. |
|
1963 and 1967
|
Fremont F. Ellis |
American Impressionist painter. The
1963 Studebaker and one of his paintings were traded for the
1967 Avanti II. |
| 196X |
Julius "Dr. J" Erving |
NBA Philadelphia 76ers. |
| 1963 |
Ian Fleming |
Author of the James Bond novels.
1963
black Studebaker R2. |
| 1963 |
Andy
Granatelli |
Avanti test driver, Indy 500 legend,
and STP pitchman. |
| 1989 |
Beach Boy, Al Jardine |
Red convertible with tan interior.
Purchased at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in early 2001 by a
buyer from Florida. |
| 1973 |
DeForest Kelly |
Dr. McCoy of the original Star
Trek. His Avanti II appears on the streets of San Francisco
in the fourth Star
Trek film, The
Voyage Home. |
| 196X |
Sandy Koufax |
The LA Dodger pitching legend. |
| 1988 |
Michael Landon |
TV actor who starred in Little
House on the Prairie and Bonanza. Currently owned
by Richard James. |
| 1986? |
Barry Morrow |
Oscar winner for "Rainman"
screenplay. |
| 1963 |
Ricky Nelson |
R2 4-speed. Located at the Classical Gas Museum, 245 E.Collins
Avenue Eaton, Colorado 80615. 1 800-453-7955.
|
| 1964 |
Rod Serling |
Film and television writer best known
as the creator and host of the "Twilight Zone." Serling owned a red 1964 R1 Avanti serial R5209, part of his large collection. He sold the car to another writer, Martin Stern, of Beverly Hills, CA. Mr. Stern then sold the Avanti to Norman Cattell, the present owner. |
| 1963 |
Herb Shriner |
The 50's TV personality and his wife were killed
in his Avanti, serial number R4935. During the last decade of his life, Shriner became a collector and restorer of vintage automobiles, eventually owning about two dozen. He was driving a Studebaker Avanti, on the night of 23 April 1970, returning from an appearance in West Palm Beach, when the car went out of control in Delray Beach and crashed into a palm tree; brake failure was given as the cause. |
| 1963 |
Frank Sinatra |
Pop singer of the 30's, 40's, 50's,
and 60's who also appeared in many big Hollywood musicals of
the 40's and 50's. |
| 1963 |
Gene Siskell |
Film critic. |
| 1963 |
Roger Ward |
Indy 500 winner. Studebaker proclaimed
him the first Avanti owner. |
