Avanti? Other undervalued Classics?

This thread on the GRM board got me thinking:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/20k-for-an-80s-monte-carlo-auto/5349/page1/

Is there any love for the Studebaker Avanti in CMS land? I was browsing through the interweb the other night and decided to search for these mostly forgotten gems. I was amazed at how little $$$ they bring. I'd think a groundbreaking car (first U.S. car with disk brakes, integral roll bar, supercharged, etc.) with such an interesting history would be worth more. (Clean Supercharged cars selling for under $20K)

Is this a classic that is undervalued? What other cars do you find irresistibly cheap? Here's my list (of top of head)

63-65 Buick Rivera, 63-64 R2 Avanti, Alfa Spyder, Fiat 124 Spider, Early VW Bug/ Westfalia Camper,

While I agree with your list, tho not so sure all of these cars are undervalued, you need to realize that there were a couple of "Alfa Spyders".

Also, on GRM, a $2008 car ad that I made the comment "...can't someone here buy this car ?" brought the comment that "...I'd pass on this, ...besides, there are plenty of better examples out there."

The car in question? Let's just say, for the moment, that this manufacturer sends less than 6200 examples to the U.S. (probably one of the bigger, if not THE biggest markets for this car), it has a revolutionary engine, and while the styling looks like a bit of a mish-mash, the interior features real wood. Is it an undervalued classic, or motoring oddity not worth the under $2000 price for an unrestored example?

I like the Avanti for it's style and it's cheap mechanicals. They are priced WAY too highly for what they are, but then again they weren't cheap when new.

Ok, lets say post "boat-tail" Alfa Spyders. The early ones have already risen in price, but the later cars can be found under $5K in decent shape.

TR3only----are you talking about Jaguar? Maybe an XKS or XJ6? Those are dirt cheap, but have a reputation of being problematic.

Didn't another rag just have an article about this subject?

Most of the cars they mentioned will get little more than an "eh..." from me, but one car they did mention is the late 80's BMW 6 series. Which can be had for reasonable coin. For example:

http://cannillomotorsports.com/inventory/633/633.htm

I've always liked the Avanti. Distinctive lines, good performance, safer than most cars of the time ... The fact that Ian Fleming had one didn't hurt. If Fleming had lived longer, would 007 have eventually driven one?

Nitpick: The Avanti was not the first American car with disks. Even the Crosley had four-wheel disks as early as 1949. Maybe others?

I seem to remember an ad for a now forgotten Chrysler, where it was claimed that Chrysler was the first American automaker to offer disc brakes on cars, tho not 4 wheel disc brakes.

When I said several different Alfa Spyders, I meant that the U.S. has received the Giulietta Spyders of the mid '50s-mid '60s, the bigger (6 cylinder) 2600 Spyders, and the "Duetto" Spyders. Three completely different cars.

No, the car I mention...tho not by name is not Jaguar. The engine is more revolutionary than any "production" Jaguar engine.

Sorry about the disk brake error. I had searched around a bit on Avanti's the other night, and a few of the sites claimed they had the "first" disks. I think they had drum in the rear though.

TR3only---- hmmm you have me a bit stumped wood, revolutionary engine.....cheap price these days...

Did Mazda Rx-2's have wood dashes? edit: Nah, Mazda imports way more than 6K cars a year.

I kept thinking of cars we mentioned in the Underappreciated Classics article

Just quickly, it's Alfa Spider with an 'i', not 'y'. < /Alfa bore>

As for the topic, I think W123 chassis Mercs are fairly undervalued, especially the coupes.

Joe Gearin...right manufacturer, wrong car.

Collector Automobile magazine has an article in the latest issue about the late '70s, RX-4 based Cosmo. Over it's 3 year run (the Cosmo name has been used by Mazda on several different cars over the years) only 6200 were sold in the U.S. So when one appeared on GRM's $2008 classified board, I asked if someone couldn't save this engineless car. Every one passed because the seller didn't have a title, and one person said there were plenty of these cars in the price range of this one in the ad (selling for all of $600) so why bother.

To refresh your memory about it's styling, it has a '70s Mercury Cougar-looking front end and side styling like a '70s Olds Cutlass.

RX-4! Well at least I was close. You were being kind to call the styling mish mash. I'm not sure who claimed that there were plenty of those cars left, but I haven't seen one in person in years.

Sorry about the Spyder/Spider mistake......I know it can be as irritating as the Beemer/Bimmer miss-use.

Right now the market is good for purchasing older or classic cars. We will see if the prices remain low for long.

Cheers Ron

I will add the Triumph GT6 to the list. OK, I am a bit biased, but of all the Triumphs up to that time the GT6 seems to be under appreciated and undervalued. TR6's easily command double the money for the same vintage and I don't think that they are double the car.

Now, granted, I prefer coupes over rag tops, and I had a GT6 right out of high school. But still i think that it may be the most under appreciated Triumph up until the TR7 and 8.

Just my very humble opinion.

The BMW 633/635 cars are a huge deal as are the 928 and the Mercedes W126 Coupes especialy the 560SEC, as well as the Alfa GTV6. I just drove one of these and was blown away with how good they are. Next the Finally people might not think of them as underrated but I think that TR8's for 10 grand are about the best deals available for a car. I mean a very low production British car with a cool V8 and on top of that they are the last Triumph sportscar. Finally though there are so few nice ones left, I still love the Jaguar XJS either the V12 or for better reliability and cheaper running costs the six cylinder car are amon the best they ever built.

You have to love early 633-635 BMWs. Beautiful lines and great drivers.

I'll also second the XJS. In the next few years you'll see these cars get a lot scarcer, especially pristine, unmodified, pre-facelift V12 models.

The XK8 coupes are another under-valued car, too. Most of the 97-99 models are right at $10k and falling; a lot of car for the money (though more of a cruiser than a sports car) if you find a low mileage original. I think that the coupes will be more valuable than the convertibles as these cars age and those expensive tops begin to deteriorate.

If you're a fan of American muscle, I think all the AMC cars are in this category. AMX's and Javelins in particular still trail Mustang, Camaro, and Mopar ponycars in price.

In reply to masterjohnson:

Old post is back..

I've been around a few Avanti's, and while nice, they didn't do a lot for me personally. The driving experience was distinctly American, for better or worse, even though it's looks said European. I think if they had a more connected "feel", at least in my personal experience, they would demand more attention from a wider pool of buyers.

I agree with Andy though, the TR8 has to be one of the most forgotten classics out there. I drove one new off the showroom back in the day, and ended up buying a TR4 instead. It's a decision I still regret. I'd probably still have the TR8.

I'm also gonna add the X1/9. It's mostly overlooked because there aren't many good ones, and it has such a low hp spec in stock trim. But really, there are few better handling cars ever built. Even though the TR8 is overlooked, you still pick up two of the nicest X1/9's out there for one TR8.

racerdave,

I agree the Avanti has a very U S car feel. But it can be fun anyway. And especially if you drive a R2, most parts are available at Pep Boys!

A buddy of mine was an original Avanti dealer & still holds on to some. When I had some body work done on a PL-510 (another often overlooked car), he loaned me a R1 for a couple of weeks. It wasn't great fun to drive but was great fun to cruise!

Try to get across a busy intersection in an Avanti without the pedestrians stopping in the street to point and stare. Yes that happens sometimes in the pricy smoozy cars. But driving an Avanti is like driving a TR-3, no one takes you too seriously and always enjoys what they see.

Isn't that a good part of owning a classic?