URGENT UPDATE: A rare and highly coveted 1963 Studebaker Avanti R2, once owned by legendary designer Raymond Loewy, is now on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The exhibit, featuring this supercharged automotive masterpiece, kicks off just as LACMA prepares to unveil its brand-new David Geffen Galleries this April.
This Avanti, renowned for its striking design and powerful 289-cubic-inch V-8, is a testament to midcentury automotive innovation. Loewy, who shaped iconic designs from the Coca-Cola bottle to the Goodyear blimp, personally customized this vehicle, making it not just a car, but a piece of art. His vision and creativity are evident in every curve of the Avanti, which is set against a backdrop celebrating California’s rich car culture.
The Avanti’s story is intertwined with the bold leadership of businessman Sherwood Egbert, who aimed to revitalize Studebaker during a precarious time for the company. Under his guidance, Loewy was commissioned to design a flagship car that would push boundaries. The result was a vehicle that claimed the title of the fastest production car in the world, with variants like the R3 reaching speeds over 170 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
LACMA’s exhibit not only showcases the Avanti but also reflects a unique perspective on automotive history through various artistic mediums.
“It is looking at the automobile, and particularly the automobile in Southern California, through the lens of many different media—photography, paintings, sculpture,”
said curator Bobbye Tigerman. This approach elevates the automobile to an art form, aligning it with works by renowned artists like Magritte and Picasso.
The recently restored Avanti is adorned with a subtle three-tone paint job and features plaques detailing Loewy’s involvement with the vehicle. It also boasts cable-operated exhaust cutouts, symbolic of Loewy’s penchant for both beauty and performance. LACMA has owned this automotive gem for over a decade, but this restoration marks its return to original glory, ready to capture the attention of art and car enthusiasts alike.
For visitors to the museum, the Avanti offers a rare glimpse into the intersection of design and automotive engineering. Located just a short five-minute walk from the Petersen Automotive Museum, LACMA invites all car aficionados to explore how it celebrates the automobile as a significant cultural and artistic object.
With the grand opening of the David Geffen Galleries on the horizon, this showcase of the Avanti not only honors Raymond Loewy’s legacy but also invites the public to reconsider the role of cars in art and culture. Don’t miss the chance to see this piece of history up close—it’s an experience that combines speed, design, and the essence of 1960s America.
