How about a new Avanti sedan for 2027?

The original Avanti was a luxury coupe built by Studebaker in 1962 and 1963. It featured a classic and iconic design by Raymond Loewy. Production of the Studebaker Avanti ended with the death of the whole brand in December 1963.

You’re right that the Avanti name has one of the strangest and most fragmented afterlives of any American car, and that history alone makes it an intriguing candidate for revival.

The original Studebaker Avanti was, in many ways, ahead of its time. Designed under the direction of Raymond Loewy, it broke sharply from the conservative styling that defined much of Detroit in the early 1960s. Its clean, aerodynamic shape, lack of a traditional grille, and emphasis on performance and luxury made it feel more European than American. Unfortunately, Studebaker’s financial troubles overshadowed the car’s promise. When Studebaker shut down U.S. auto production in December 1963, the Avanti became an instant orphan—admired, but commercially stranded. Production only lasted 2 years.

That could have been the end of the story, but the Avanti proved unusually resilient. Two Studebaker dealers stepped in, purchasing the tooling, body molds, and rights to the name. In 1965, they relaunched the car as the Avanti II, effectively turning it into a hand-built luxury coupe. Production numbers were tiny, but the concept was unusual for the time: a boutique American grand tourer, updated incrementally rather than redesigned wholesale. That approach allowed the Avanti to survive through the 1970s, long after its original contemporaries had disappeared.

Ownership changes became the norm in the 1980s and early 1990s, with each new steward attempting to modernize the car just enough to keep it relevant. Some versions leaned into luxury, others into performance, but volumes remained extremely low. By the late 1990s, the car was revived yet again—this time as a Mustang-based model that bore more conceptual than mechanical resemblance to the original. Production continued until 2006 before the company collapsed for good.

Since then, the Avanti name has gone dormant. (Like a few people I know). There is no one producing Avantis anymore, and trademark ownership appears to have lapsed. The name still exists in enthusiast circles, but it’s no longer tied to a functioning brand.

That’s what makes it an interesting idea. In today’s EV landscape, a reborn Avanti as a high-end electric sedan doesn’t sound that far-fetched. Competing with cars like the Lucid Air or Tesla Model S, a modern Avanti could lean heavily on design, heritage, and exclusivity rather than volume. EV platforms lower the barrier to entry compared to traditional automakers, and battery costs continue to decline.

The Avanti was always about being different, and ahead of the curve. In that sense, an electric Avanti wouldn’t betray the name at all.

It might finally bring it full circle.