The Fastest American Car Of 1963 That Left The Corvette Behind
Ask any car enthusiast to name the fastest American production car of 1963 and you’ll almost certainly hear the same answer: the split-window Corvette. It’s an understandable reflex. The Sting Ray was gorgeous, technically ambitious, and dripping with the kind of charisma that turns cars into cultural icons. A powerful small-block V8, slippery aerodynamics, and a badge that meant something — the ’63 Corvette had it all. Except, as it turns out, the outright speed record.
That title belonged to a car most people have never heard of, built by a manufacturer that was quietly fighting for its life. It didn’t have Chevrolet’s brand power, its dealer network, or its sales volume — but in a decade defined by horsepower bragging rights, it was this unlikely machine that claimed the title of America’s fastest production car. The story of how it got there is one of the great underdog tales in automotive history.
Studebaker’s Avanti R2 Was Built For Speed
Studebaker was fighting for survival in the early 1960s, and the company knew it couldn’t rely on conservative updates to aging sedans. The solution was bold: create a halo car that would grab headlines and prove the brand could still innovate. The Avanti R2 was designed to be a rolling statement of intent. Shaped under the direction of legendary stylist Raymond Loewy, its low-slung fiberglass body rejected the chrome-laden, tailfin-heavy designs of the 1950s in favor of smooth, aerodynamic lines.
For Its Time, The Avanti R2 Was Unusually Fast
The engineering matched the ambition. Beneath the Avanti’s hood was Studebaker’s 289-cubic-inch V8, but the real magic came from a Paxton SN-60 centrifugal supercharger — factory-installed and tuned to deliver 289 horsepower and 303 lb-ft of torque. Crucially, those numbers translated directly into real-world speed. The combination of forced induction, a relatively lightweight 3,100-pound curb weight, and a drag coefficient far better than most competitors made the Avanti R2 an unusually quick American car for its era.
Studebaker’s choice of a fiberglass body saved weight and allowed more design freedom than steel, while also resisting corrosion — a selling point that appealed to customers in harsh-weather states. The Avanti’s chassis, based on the Lark’s frame, was heavily modified for rigidity and stability, ensuring the R2 could handle sustained high-speed runs without drama. Studebaker wanted a car that could go toe-to-toe with the best in the world, and in 1963, that meant aiming higher than even Chevrolet Corvette.
Bonneville Records Cemented Its Legacy
For Studebaker, the real marketing gold would come from setting official speed records, and the Bonneville Salt Flats were the perfect stage. In 1963, the Avanti R2 stunned the industry by clocking a two-way average speed of 170.78 mph, with some runs approaching 178 mph. The kicker was that these were production-spec cars that customers could walk into a dealership and buy.
The Avanti R2’s Supercharger Was Key To Its Speed
The conditions at Bonneville put cars through brutal tests: thin air, high temperatures, and an endless expanse of blinding white salt that punished any mechanical weakness. The Avanti’s aerodynamic profile and supercharged V8 gave it the muscle to sustain those speeds without overheating or losing stability. Factory driver Andy Granatelli — who also served as president of Paxton Products — played a central role in proving the Avanti’s capabilities. His intimate knowledge of the supercharger system ensured the R2 ran at peak performance during the record attempts.
The Corvette Sting Ray of 1963 was no slouch: in fuel-injected 327 form, it ranked among the fastest American cars of the decade, but its top speed generally maxed out at around 140–150 mph depending on gearing. That left the R2 in a league of its own, besting not only domestic rivals but also embarrassing some European performance cars of the day. For an independent automaker operating on limited resources, it was a monumental achievement that stands as one of the great underdog victories in American automotive history.
A Rare Sight On Today’s Roads
While the Avanti R2 achieved its performance goals, it couldn’t save Studebaker from financial collapse. The company’s declining market share and shrinking dealer network meant the Avanti never reached the sales volumes it deserved. Total Avanti production in 1963 was just 4,643 units, and only a fraction of those were R2s. That scarcity has made surviving cars valuable pieces of muscle car history.
Today, the Avanti R2 is considered a blue-chip collectible for enthusiasts who appreciate performance with a story. Many examples spent years in storage, emerging only when the collector car market began to recognize their significance. Restoration parts can be challenging to source — particularly original Paxton superchargers and interior trim — but dedicated owner communities and specialist shops keep the Avanti alive.
The Avanti R2 Today Is A Bargain, Relatively Speaking
Market values for the R2 vary widely depending on originality, condition, and provenance. As per Classic.com, driver-quality cars can trade in the $35,000–$45,000 range, while well-restored examples often sell for $50,000–$65,000. Exceptional examples — especially those with matching-numbers drivetrains and documented history — can command prices above $75,000. Compared to a similarly rare ’63 Corvette, which can easily exceed six figures, the Avanti R2 offers a compelling entry point for collectors seeking something historically significant without the Corvette price tag.
Engineering Details That Made The Avanti R2 A Record Breaker
The Avanti R2’s impressive speed numbers were the result of deliberate engineering choices that pushed Studebaker’s design team to think beyond convention. The Paxton SN-60 centrifugal supercharger was the centerpiece of the package, delivering up to 5 psi of boost in factory trim. This allowed the relatively small 289-cubic-inch V8 to punch well above its displacement, producing power levels competitive with much larger-displacement engines of the era.
Every Bit Played Its Part In The Avanti R2’s Speed
Cooling was a major concern for sustained high-speed running, so Studebaker equipped the R2 with a heavy-duty radiator, oil cooler, and high-flow water pump. The car’s aerodynamic fiberglass body reduced drag significantly compared to most contemporaries, allowing the R2 to maintain top-speed runs with less strain on the engine. Structural reinforcements to the frame and suspension components ensured stability at triple-digit speeds, while front disc brakes — supplied by Dunlop — provided the stopping power needed after long high-speed stretches.
Even details like the Avanti’s relatively narrow frontal area and flush-mounted headlights contributed to its performance edge. Studebaker engineered a system in which every component worked toward one goal: setting records and proving that the company could compete with the most respected names in performance motoring.
Why The Avanti R2 Still Matters Today
The Avanti R2’s importance extends far beyond its Bonneville records. It’s a case study in how genuine innovation can emerge from outside the automotive mainstream. At a time when the Big Three automakers dominated every segment, Studebaker proved that a small independent could out-engineer the giants in a specific performance category. Its use of a factory-installed supercharger, aerodynamic design, and lightweight fiberglass construction anticipated trends that would become far more common in the decades that followed.
Preserving A Memory Through Ownership
For collectors, the Avanti R2 offers a potent combination of rarity, performance, and cultural significance. It’s a conversation starter at any car show because most people still associate 1963 performance leadership with the Corvette. Owning one is preserving the memory of an era when competition drove innovation, and when the underdog could legitimately take the crown.
In many ways, the Avanti R2’s story is a bittersweet one. It showed what Studebaker was capable of at its creative peak, but it also marked the company’s last major triumph before it disappeared from the automotive landscape entirely. Today, every surviving R2 is a rolling reminder that in 1963, America’s fastest production car didn’t come from Detroit. It came from South Bend, Indiana.
Sources: Classic.com.
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