Despite its distinctive design, the Avanti is a luxury vehicle (originally produced by the Studebaker Corporation) that now remains only in the garages of collectors. Its history, although short, confirms that the Avanti was an impressive piece of work created under serious constraints.

The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Studebaker

Beginning as a blacksmith shop in 1852, the Studebaker Corporation entered the auto industry in 1902. During its peak, Studebaker acquired luxury carmaker Pierce-Arrow and produced several vehicles, including the Erskine and Rockne. Studebaker competed with the big names until 1933, when it succumbed to the devastation of the Great Depression and filed for bankruptcy.

New Management, New Designs

Later that year, Studebaker got back on track with new management at the helm. With Sherwood Egbert as the new owner, they sold Pierce-Arrow and made other consolidation moves to revive the company. In addition to the financial “housekeeping”, Studebaker decided to employ a new designer- one that would bring the company back from the brink. Egbert contracted with Raymond Loewy to create new, exciting designs to entice customers to welcome Studebaker vehicles back into their driveways.

While working with Studebaker, Loewy designed two of their most popular models– the Starlight and the Starliner. Because his previous designs were so well-received by the public, Loewy was asked to create what Egbert hoped would be a huge money-maker for Studebaker.

The Attempt to Move Studebaker Forward

There was no time to waste. Studebaker needed something to spice up showrooms and bring cash into the floundering company. Egbert envisioned something sporty and exciting, yet utilizing the frame of the current Studebaker Lark. With these instructions, Egbert gave Loewy exactly 6 weeks to come up with both a design and a full-scale clay model. Loewy quickly put together a design team, locked them away for 16 days in a rented bungalow in Palm Springs, and there the Avanti came into being.

Italian for “forward”, the Avanti demonstrated a much more modern feel and design. For example, the body was made out of fiberglass, not steel. Additionally, the Avanti had a smooth nose with no front grille. Loewy believed them to be too “commonplace”. The Avanti also came standard with front disc brakes. Finally, there was an unusual bump on the left side of the hood. Loewy explained, “If you were on a straight highway standing at the steering wheel, that panel was oriented forward where the roadway would bend with the horizon, parallel to the centerline of the chassis frame. It made the car and driver integral, like the sight of a gun.”

In just under 14 months, this project was completed and production began. Unfortunately, customers became frustrated because of delivery delays, causing slower sales. Egbert’s goal of selling 20,000 in a year fell far short as the Avanti only sold 4,643 over its lifetime. He left the company in 1963 for health reasons, and the Indiana factory shut down a month later. Studebaker officially closed its doors in 1967.

Two Studebaker dealers, Leo Newman, and Nathan Altman bought the rights to the Avanti design and began producing the Avanti II. The Avanti went through another iteration, after being featured in the sci-fi movie GATTACA, before production finally ceased in 2006.

A Loewy Favorite

Raymond Loewy not only designed the Avanti, but he also owned several himself. One he kept at his home in Palm Springs, and the other went to his home in France. It seems as though he was very proud of his creation, even if the masses didn’t fully appreciate it.

Concept as Art

Imagine delighting in the classic design of the Studebaker Avanti when perusing your collection. The artist created a maquette for the Avanti lithograph after his original 1962-1963 design. Using this design as a model, mylar sheets (one for each color), were prepared by Alberto Barrera, under the artist’s direction, and then chemically transferred onto emulsion-coated aluminum lithographic plates at the American Atelier. Silver foil was applied by hot stamping.

Proofs were pulled. Corrections and additions were made by hand to the first proofs by the artist. A second proof was pulled under the supervision of Technical Director, Mauro Guiffreda at the American Atelier. Finally, each print in the edition was inspected and initialed by hand in pencil by Loewy at The American Atelier in December 1978. You can own the Avanti lithograph by checking out the product page.

*An outline of Avanti Motors History

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Did you know that the current design of Air Force One has remained unchanged since 1962? President John F. Kennedy, along with two of America’s style visionaries- Jackie Kennedy and Raymond Loewy- collaborated on the livery (a fancy word for the exterior decals) for the presidential plane. Not only was this design created by an admired artist, but it has quite the story behind it.

“Gaudy and Amateurish”

In 1962, a new pair of presidential planes had been specially made by Boeing. When these designs were released to the public, their exterior design was orange and red, typical of military planes. World-renowned designer Raymond Loewy, upon seeing these designs for the first time, is quoted as saying, “I was unimpressed by the gaudy red exterior markings and … the amateurish graphics of Air Force One.”

Once Jackie Kennedy caught wind that Loewy had critiqued the new planes, she immediately urged her husband to hire Loewy as the designer.

Turning a Big, Boring Machine into an Iconic Aircraft

Always mindful of how powerful impressions can be, the First Lady was fascinated by Loewy’s designs for notable American companies such as Coca-Cola, Lucky Strike Cigarettes, Electrolux, and many others. Loewy had a knack for coupling modern industrial and graphic design to create striking, classic images. American Presidents needed to make a good first impression when visiting foreign countries.

During their first meeting, Loewy and President Kennedy camped out on the floor of the Oval Office with paper, scissors, and crayons. Knowing Kennedy’s affinity for the color blue, Loewy rendered a design that incorporated two different shades of blue– slate and cyan- for the middle and wings. The top of the plane was left white, and the underside of the fuselage was left silver. Toward the front of the plane was the Presidential Seal, and on the tail was the American flag.

While in DC, Loewy visited the National Archives and was struck by the Caslon font used in the first printed copy of the Declaration of Independence. Having already ordered the Air Force to remove the current typeface on the aircraft, he was in favor of Loewy’s idea to use the country’s name set widely spaced in capital letters.

Americans received the new Air Force One design with great fanfare, as with most things the Kennedys did. While Jackie Kennedy’s timeless sense of style is attributed to the plane, Raymond Loewy was the mastermind behind it.

Own an Original Loewy Air Force One Design

You can get your hands on an original Loewy lithograph of this iconic design. It was inspected and initialed by hand in pencil by Loewy at The American Atelier in December 1978. Add this spectacular piece to your own collection today.

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If only I had Raymond Loewy’s Hydrofoil sitting in a dock, instead of in the GALLERY. Not only is this vessel a prime example of his talent, but it was one of many products Loewy was commissioned to create for Russia during the Cold War. In the midst of political turmoil, this partnership between Loewy and the USSR was a ray of hope for international cooperation.

What is a Hydrofoil?

Originally designed by Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini in 1906, the hydrofoil is not your average boat. It boasts a curved, wing-like underwater fin to lift the moving boat’s hull above the water. As a result, drag is dramatically decreased and the boat moves faster without burning more horsepower.

Flying Boats as Wartime Vessels

In the 1970s, the Cold War was raging, and Russia and the United States were in a race to out-do each other. From space exploration to military technology, each country was on a quest to become a world superpower. In preparation for potential escalation, every possible attack angle was explored.

Naval warfare was a big concern, with nuclear submarines quickly becoming what can be considered the most powerful weapons systems ever. Armed with this knowledge, naval vessels needed to adapt to prevent potential attacks.

Enter the hydrofoil- a watercraft that “flies” above the water.

The Hydrofoil Advantage

Traditional hulls have a larger submerged area, making it vulnerable to torpedo attacks. With a hydrofoil, the submerged area is reduced, which helps avoid underwater assault. In addition, the underwater wings reduce drag and enhance stability, allowing the hydrofoil to maneuver quickly through turbulent water.

Loewy and a Contract with Russia

To compete in the world market, Russia opted to consult with a leading industrial designer on creating products that would appeal to Western markets. That designer was Raymond Loewy. Not only were his firms contracted to design hydrofoils, but also Russian cars, motorcycles, cameras, watches, refrigerators, and tractors.

Loewy believed that this contract would open up markets for Russian goods. “Once they set their minds to doing something, they have tremendous resources for carrying the project through,” he remarked.

In a press release issued by the State Committee for Science and Technology, the Russians stated: “Scientific and design technological collaboration of this kind is the first U.S.S.R. experiment of international cooperation in this field.

“It is expected that the contract’s implementation will permit our industry to use the firm’s knowledge and experience, which is based on long‐term studies and forecasts of consumer requirements in increasingly competitive world markets.”

The Fall of the USSR and the Raketas

Nicknamed “Raketas”, or Rockets in Russian, hydrofoil production ended with the economic collapse of the Soviet Union. These planes of the sea were sent to rust in ship graveyards or sent to other Asian countries. It appears that the hope for bringing USSR products to the world marketplace was not realized.

Even though Loewy’s relationship with Russia did not bring about the end to the war, or even help them enter the Western marketplace, his talent and design remain noteworthy even today.

Concepts as Art: Hydrofoil

The artist created a maquette for the Hydrofoil lithograph after his original 1962-1963 design. Using this design as a model, mylar sheets (one for each color), were prepared by Alberto Barrera, under the artist’s direction, and then chemically transferred onto emulsion-coated aluminum lithographic plates at the American Atelier. Silver foil was applied by hot stamping.

Proofs were pulled. Corrections and additions were made by hand to the first proofs by the artist. A second proof was pulled under the supervision of Technical Director, Mauro Guiffreda at the American Atelier. Finally, each print in the edition was inspected and initialed by hand in pencil by Loewy at The American Atelier in December 1978.

Visit our GALLERY to add this spectacular piece to your own collection.

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