Minneapolis Street Sighting: Studebaker Avanti Supercharged

In the heart on the Minneapolis summer, I expect more orphan cars to come out; makes that are seldom seen, like Studebaker, Packard, Hudson, etc. Normally, with my luck, I only spot these cars at shows, or on dealer forecourts. This summer I struck paydirt; I've always kind of liked the Avanti, but I don't think I've even been this close to one--till now.
The original car, designed by Raymond Loewy, is said to be one of the all-time greats in American car design, and I can see why. Nothing at all comes close; it's one of those cars that even people who aren't into cars know what it is. Same can be said for the Buick Riviera with which it competed.
Introduced in 1962, and having a short original production rare, Avantis are quite rare, with less than 6000 made by Studebker. Kit cars, and various replicas would bear the name, but these are not real Avantis--they're imitators, and should be treated as such. I never liked the square light Avantis anyway, so treating the replicas like poop is a no-brainer for me.











Spotted in North Minneapolis, this lone Stude was resting at a repair facility in the middle of one of the worst neighborhoods this city has to offer. Fortunately, this Avanti hadn't had the donk treatment like so many other vehicles in the area; it looks like it will never receive the treatment though. Aside from the light smattering of summer dust, this Supercharged luxury coupe was in excellent shape--the paint had a tiny bit of orange peel, but let's be real, it's over forty years old.
The trim and badging was is excellent shape, and I had fun looking the badges, especially the "Supercharged" script; I've never seen a real Avanti up close, so this was a treat for me.
I loved finding this, and I only wish more Studebakers were alive in the area; once I've seen one, I want to see them all! To me, the Avanti is probably one of my luckier findings, even if it isn't "on the street."