1964 Studebaker Avanti
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Knowing that it would need a more potent offering than the current 289 CID engines to match the finest grand tourers from America and Europe, but also lacked the funds to develop new engines, so Studebaker chose to offer an optional supercharged version of the 289 CID V8, as it had on the earlier Golden Hawks. With a lower 9. 0:1 compression and a belt-driven Paxton SN-60 centrifugal supercharger making 4. 5 pounds of boost, it brought the engine up to 290hp at 4,800 RPM, also bumping torque to an estimated 303-lbs. ft. at 5,000 RPM. If you decide to buy a supercharged Avanti, don't expect it to be equipped with factory-installed air conditioning, because no Paxton-powered models were built with A/C. The Avanti's have been considered screaming deals in the collector-car hobby for decades, but their relative affordability is sure to diminish...