Avanti road tests were
published in the spring of 1962 when production models had not
yet reached Studebaker showrooms. Avanti premiéred at
the April 1962 New York Auto Show. Pre-production models were
supplied by Studebaker. Interest
in the car was considerable. Avanti was different from any other
car and it caused quite a stir. Styling was part of the furor,
but the Avanti had a unique personality in other ways.The disc
brakes were new to most people; a roll bar and seat belts
were unusual; the aircraft-type controls were exotic; the glass
covered headlights were European; the uncluttered dashboard
was startling; the absence of a grill was radical; the wheel
openings used "reentry curves", the off-center hood
accent was daring, and what a sound it made!
