1964 · Studebaker · United States
1964 Studebaker Avanti: The Last One South Bend Built, and Three Different Production Totals
The last Studebaker Avanti, cut short when South Bend stopped building cars on 20 December 1963. It got rectangular headlamp bezels and a level stance, and 809 were built, including the nine production R3s.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
The 1964 Avanti was the last one Studebaker itself built, and the run ended abruptly: South Bend produced its final car on December 20, 1963, closing out a model year that had only started that August. Styling changed in one visible way, rectangular headlamp bezels replacing the round ones of 1963, and the car lost the forward rake that had marked the earlier cars, settling onto a level stance for its final months of production. The drivetrain lineup carried over unchanged: the standard R1 289, the Paxton-supercharged R2 as an option, a three-speed or four-speed manual, or the Power Shift automatic. Interior trim stayed similarly simple, five vinyl colors, black, turquoise, claret, smoked elk, and red, across a car whose wheelbase held at 109 inches throughout its Studebaker-built life.1,2,3
Above the R1 and R2, the supercharged R3 became a genuine rarity in its only full production year. The R3/R4 registry at theavanti.com names all nine production R3 Avantis by serial number, a 304.5-cubic-inch supercharged V8 rated at 335 horsepower and sold as part of a $5,980 performance package. The R4, an unsupercharged version of the same 304.5, never reached an Avanti at all: the registry and a Studebaker Drivers Club engine-identification reference agree that the single R4 engine built went into a 1964 Lark-type car instead, making zero a reported fact about Avanti R4 production rather than a gap in the record. The supercharged R2, by contrast, was common enough that an RM Sotheby's auction catalogue credits it with 281 units for the year.4,5,6
How many 1964 Avantis were built in total is not settled, and the record keeps all three competing figures rather than choosing one. The Avanti Owners Association International and Old Cars Weekly both give 809; a separate Avanti Owners Association production-statistics chart, working from serial numbers, describes 54 round-headlight cars and 756 built with the full 1964 changes for a total of 810; and a production-and-cost table compiled by Tom Ventris and Wendell Hanks gives 795 for an undefined production year. The serial chart's own monthly breakdown, 283 in August, 245 in September, 228 in October, 36 in November and 18 in December 1963, at least shows internal consistency, but none of the three totals states enough about its basis to be preferred over the others.7,8,9,10
A second, smaller disagreement runs through the paint records. theavanti.com, crediting the Avanti Owners Association's own website, lists the seven 1964 colors under codes P-6430 through P-6436, including a seventh shade, Avanti Maroon, added near the end of production; but a separate Studebaker body-plate and paint-chip reference marks the same color family P-6331 through P-6334, "used on 1963-64 Avanti models only." The color names themselves agree between the two sources; it is only the code numbers that diverge, and the record shows both rather than picking one without a 1964 body tag or production order to settle it. Pricing reflects the R3's rarity: Ventris and Hanks give the standard Avanti an FOB cost of $4,445, well under the $5,980 the R3 performance package alone commanded on top of the base car.4,3,10
Fact sheet · 1964 · United States
The numbers
1964 Studebaker Avanti — The last Studebaker Avanti, cut short when South Bend stopped building cars on 20 December 1963. It got rectangular headlamp bezels and a level stance, and 809 were built, including the nine production R3s.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
- 809 built as 1964 models.7,8,1
- Nine production R3 Avantis: serials R5089, R5237, R5394, R5532, R5546, R5593, R5625, R5642 and R5643. The R3 price is given as $5,980 including the R3 performance package.4
- Only one R4 engine went into a production car, a 1964 Lark-type, not an Avanti.5,4
- A seventh color, Avanti Maroon (P-6436), was added near the end of production.4
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avanti, 1964 model year7,8,6 Avanti · 2-door coupe · all markets (not stated) | 809 | built, model-year | Disputed |
| Avanti 1964 models by serial (R-4838 to R-5647)9 Avanti · 2-door coupe · South Bend production Serial-number count; see conflicts. | 810 | built, model-year | Disputed |
| Avanti 1964 production (Ventris and Hanks table)10 Avanti · 2-door coupe · South Bend production Undefined year basis and unnamed underlying source; see conflicts. | 795 | built, production year (not defined) | Disputed |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 supercharged6 Avanti · 2-door coupe · R2 289 supercharged · not stated Auction catalogue figure. The catalogue does not name its source. | 281 | built, model-year | Reported |
| R3 supercharged 304.5 (production cars)4,1 Avanti · 2-door coupe · R3 304.5 supercharged · not stated The registry's nine serials are listed individually. Prototypes and later conversions are excluded. | 9 | built, model-year | Reported |
| R4 (unsupercharged 304.5)4,5 Avanti · 2-door coupe · R4 304.5 · not stated Zero is a stated fact in both sources, not a missing value. | 0 | built, model-year | Reported |
| R2 supercharged Avantis, 1963 and 1964 model years combined6,11 Avanti · 2-door coupe · R2 289 supercharged · not stated Covers both model years. | 1,833 | built, model-years 1963-1964 combined | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Avantis with round headlights9 Avanti · 2-door coupe · South Bend production Square headlight enclosures began at R-4892 (chart August 1963 annotation; running-changes sheet). | 54 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 1964 Avantis built with the 1964 changes throughout (square headlights)9 Avanti · 2-door coupe · South Bend production | 756 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avantis built in August 19639 Avanti · 2-door coupe · South Bend production First month of 1964 models; first square headlights at 4892. | 283 | built, calendar month (August 1963) | Reported |
| Avantis built in September 19639 Avanti · 2-door coupe · South Bend production | 245 | built, calendar month (September 1963) | Reported |
| Avantis built in October 19639 Avanti · 2-door coupe · South Bend production | 228 | built, calendar month (October 1963) | Reported |
| Avantis built in November 19639 Avanti · 2-door coupe · South Bend production | 36 | built, calendar month (November 1963) | Reported |
| Avantis built in December 19639 Avanti · 2-door coupe · South Bend production Last Studebaker Avantis; the chart's cumulative total 4,647. | 18 | built, calendar month (December 1963) | Reported |
The R1 count is not given by any source read. It is not derived by subtraction.
No transmission, color or trim counts were found for 1964.
Serial-number counts from the Avanti Owners Association chart (monthly builds, 4,647 in all, June 1962-December 1963) sit beside the AOAI/Old Cars Weekly and Ventris-Hanks model-year totals; the three disagree and none is chosen. Monthly rows partition the chart's serial ranges.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Avanti R3 (including R3 performance package)4 | $5,980 | price as stated by the enthusiast reference; basis not given, 1964 model year |
| Avanti, FOB10 | $4,445 | cost (FOB) as tabulated by Ventris and Hanks, 1964 production year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 · Jet Thrust 289 V8, four-barrel8,1 289 cu in · 4-barrel | 240 hp (SAE gross (period advertised)) | standard | Not yet sourced |
| R2 · Jet Thrust 289 V8, Paxton supercharger8 289 cu in · 4-barrel, centrifugal supercharger | 289 hp (SAE gross (as reported)) | optional | 2816 Reported |
| R3 · Jet Thrust 304.5 V8, supercharged8,1 304.5 cu in · 4-barrel, centrifugal supercharger | 335 hp (SAE gross (as reported)) | optional (R3 package) | 94 Reported |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Three-speed manual1 | standard | Not yet sourced |
| Warner T-10 four-speed manual1 | optional | Not yet sourced |
| Borg-Warner three-speed automatic ('Power Shift')1,4 | optional | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
P-6430 |
Avanti Black4 | Not yet sourced |
P-6431 |
Avanti White (R-M 64S91)4 | Not yet sourced |
P-6432 |
Avanti Turquoise, iridescent (R-M 64S33)4 | Not yet sourced |
P-6433 |
Avanti Gold, iridescent (R-M 64S72)4 | Not yet sourced |
P-6434 |
Avanti Red, iridescent (R-M 64S53R)4 | Not yet sourced |
P-6435 |
Avanti Gray, iridescent (R-M 64S11)4 | Not yet sourced |
P-6436 |
Avanti Maroon (added near end of production)4 | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Interiors
| Code | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
813 |
Avanti trim: black, vinyl3 | Not yet sourced |
823 |
Avanti trim: turquoise, vinyl3 | Not yet sourced |
833 |
Avanti trim: claret, vinyl3 | Not yet sourced |
843 |
Avanti trim: smoked elk, vinyl3 | Not yet sourced |
853 |
Avanti trim: red, vinyl3 | Not yet sourced |
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase1 | 109 in | Avanti |
Identification
- Serial numbers
- The nine production R3s carry serials in the R5089-R5643 range. An R2 1964 car sold by RM Sotheby's is chassis R5255.4,6
- Engine number
- Avanti engines built on or after 20 August 1963 carry an alphanumeric code with no running serial: R (R1), RS (R2) or R3, then a month letter, a year digit and the day. Additional leading digits mark an export engine.5
- Styling
- Rectangular headlamp bezels in place of round ones; the forward rake of the 1963 car was removed.1
- Body codes
- 64R-Q1 (R1), 64R-Q2 (R2 supercharged), 64R-Q3 (R3 304.5 supercharged, noted '9 of a kind, only'), 64R-Q4 (R4 dual-carburetted 304.5), 64R-Q5 (R5, 'Due Cento, only 1').12
- Running changes by serial
- 1964 models began at R-4838; square headlight enclosures, clear parking lenses with amber bulbs and a cowl vent intake from R-4892; manifold pressure gauge faces from R-5183; thicker front seat-back cushions from R-5361. Last Studebaker Avanti R-5647 (December 1963).13,9
Where the sources disagree
1964 model-year Avanti production
- 809 (AOAI web history; Old Cars Weekly)7,8
- 810 (54 round-headlight and 756 square-headlight cars; serial count)9
- 795 (Ventris and Hanks, 'production year' undefined)10
Show all three with attribution; no figure is published as fact. The AOA chart's serial arithmetic reconciles to 4,647 cars built June 1962-December 1963; the other figures do not state their basis or where the transitional cars fall.
1964 Avanti paint code numbers
- 1964 Avanti colors carry P-6430 to P-6436 codes (theavanti.com, crediting the AOAI website)4
- The 1964 Studebaker paint-chip chart shows P-6331 to P-6334 and Avanti Gray (63S11) marked 'Used on 1963-64 Avanti models only', and the 1964 body-plate decoder lists 6331-63343
Both kept. The color names agree; which code numbers were stamped on 1964 cars is not settled here. A 1964 Avanti body tag or production order would settle it.
Same model year
Also in 1964
- Buick Riviera The 425 became standard, the dual-quad Super Wildcat 360 arrived as an option, and the Super Turbine 400 replaced the twin-turbine automatic.
- Buick Wildcat The best Wildcat year at 84,245, with a 425 in 340- or 360-hp form and an available four-speed.
- Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The first Chevelle; the Malibu SS was a series, and its strongest released engine was the midyear 300 hp L74 327.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova First V8 (283) year in the source engine table. Enthusiast-compiled production: 191,691 cars; Super Sport 10,576.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS No factory Super Sport El Camino is documented for this year; the record carries the host El Camino production as context.
- Chevrolet Impala SS Super Sport becomes its own series: 185,325 built.
- Chrysler 300 letter series Cheaper by about $1,000, with a single-four-barrel 360 hp 413 standard, leather made optional and the convertible restored, the 300K became the best-selling letter car: 3,022 hardtops and 625 convertibles.
- Dodge Dart 330/440, Polara and Max Wedge The Max Wedge's last year brought the Ramcharger 426-III, a 365 hp street 426 for Polara buyers, and in midyear a competition-only 426 Hemi in lightened 330/440 bodies; Roger Lindamood's Dodge won Top Stock at the Nationals.
- Ford Fairlane The year of the Thunderbolt: a midsize Fairlane with a 427 installed for NHRA Super Stock, which carried Gas Ronda to the national Stock title.
- Ford Falcon Sprint The restyled Falcon kept the Sprint hardtop and convertible with the 164 hp 260 V8 standard; the club counts 18,108 built, many with a bench seat.
- Ford Galaxie Ford sold its 427 in the restyled full-size range in two advertised versions, 410 hp with one four-barrel and 425 hp with two, and the Galaxie 500 XL hardtop was the bucket-seat flagship.
- Ford Thunderbird The redesigned fourth-generation car offered one drivetrain, a 300-hp 390 with Cruise-O-Matic, and output rose to 92,465.
- Mercury Comet and Cyclone The Cyclone name first appeared on a 1964 Comet hardtop; the only production figure found is a single secondary total.
- Mercury Marauder and S-55 Marauder now meant the fastback roof on any full-size Mercury series, two-door or four-door, with the 390 standard and the 427 optional.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds Oldsmobile's first 4-4-2 was a mid-year option package, B09 Police Apprehender Pursuit, with a 310 hp 330, a four-speed and dual exhausts; 2,999 are tabulated.
- Oldsmobile Starfire Production fell to 16,163 as the cheaper Jetstar I took the same body; Motor Trend timed a convertible at 9.7 s to 60.
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda Plymouth's glassback Valiant-based fastback launched in a short first season and sold 23,443 cars.
- Plymouth Savoy, Fury and Max Wedge Plymouth's last Max Wedge year offered the Super Stock 426-III beside a 365 hp street 426 Commando, while a competition-only 426 Hemi went into lightened Savoy/Belvedere drag cars and swept the Daytona 500.
- Pontiac Catalina 2+2 and Super Duty The 2+2 arrived as a $291 Catalina option and the 370 hp 421 HO replaced the Super Duty at the top.
- Pontiac GTO A $295 option on the Tempest LeMans that put Pontiac's 389 in the intermediate body; 32,450 were built.
- Pontiac Grand Prix A carryover year: 63,810 built, with the 370 hp 421 HO at the top of the option list.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The Tempest becomes a 115-inch intermediate with a 326 V8, and the LeMans carries the new GTO option.
- Studebaker Hawk The final Hawk, with a new deck lid and an optional vinyl 'Sports Roof', ended when South Bend closed on 20 December 1963. 1,767 were built, 1,484 of them domestic.
- Studebaker Lark and Super Lark Brooks Stevens restyled the Lark-type line and the Daytona became its top series. Of the V8 Daytonas, 111 got the R1 and 48 the supercharged R2, and one got the only production R4, before South Bend closed in December 1963.