Studebaker Coupe

Studebaker coupe can describe several distinct cars, including the 1950s Commander Starlight, the Gran Turismo Hawk, and the 1962 to 1963 Avanti. Ask for the model year, body code, engine, and VIN before treating the item as one specific vehicle. [National Museum of Transportation Starlight Coupe](https://tnmot.org/collection/studebaker-commander-starlight-coupe/) [The Henry Ford Avanti](https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/270053)

The Avanti was a fiberglass-bodied personal luxury coupe styled by Raymond Loewy's team and built on a modified Studebaker Lark chassis. It used a Studebaker 289 V8, giving the car a very different identity from the company's more conventional coupes. [The Henry Ford Avanti](https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/270053)

Specialist support matters more with a Studebaker because trim, glass, and model-specific hardware depend heavily on the exact coupe. A buyer should identify the model through groups such as the Studebaker Drivers Club before assuming that ordinary 1960s Ford parts will fit.

Start with the VIN, model year, chassis condition, rust, engine number, trim completeness, and the availability of replacement glass and brightwork. If it is an Avanti, inspect the fiberglass body and modified Lark-based chassis because those are central to that model's construction. [The Henry Ford Avanti](https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/270053)