Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Leawood, Kansas

I'm corresponding with a lady from Leawood, KS now, who at age 20 bought the first Avanti delivered in the state of North Dakota and it would have been a clone of the gold one above...Avanti Gold, elk interior, R1 engine and Powershift automatic. A friend of mine has figured out, to a high degree, what the serial no. most likely was and we are in the process of verifying via the Studebaker Museum to the retail sale card there. We're hoping the car has survived. Avantis have a pretty high survival/collectibility rate out there. We're also in communication with the Avanti Owners Association International club to see if that number is on its roster anywhere.

Avantis were high right out of the box for a Studebaker, as used cars 40 or more years ago. Hawks eclipsed them in the past decade or maybe two. An acquaintance who sells nothing but Studebakers on eBay and has sold a ton, including for other people, told me in an email two weeks ago that in his experience R2's are always in demand, and that R2 Larks are strong...probably even higher than R2 Hawks. Must be the "sleeper" nature of Larks. I think some of the Avanti pricing stagnation is, to me it really doesn't look like an old car. I mean, it has curved side glass and very minimal trim. Most didn't have any optional wheels and the colors were muted. People who like lots of glitz (like many who like old cars) won't find it in an Avanti. I've heard in Studebaker circles that the Avanti, compared to a lot of other cars of the period, is like the simple black dress with single strand of pearls. Personally, I agree, although like the GT Hawk more even though its age is more apparent. Ironically, I got a card in the mail today from a woman in Leawood, KS. All I can think of is that she must have gotten my name from Feb's Hemmings Motor News which I had an article in. She asked me if I had any of the old "Studebaker News" dealer newsletter as she was pictured in one with the new Avanti she bought in college as a twenty-year-old. She named the dealership in Grand Forks, ND. For some reason it all sounded familiar to me. I own only three issues of that newsletter, and by God, her (small) photo, getting the keys from the dealer, is in one of the three and the article underneath notes that she was the first delivery of an Avanti in North Dakota! Small world. I plan on sending the magazine to her gratis.

In the midwest they are giving some discounts. Two dealers jumped at $2,500 right off of the bat and now are at $3000 off the MSRP for a loaded QX. Found it interesting that GMC offers a higher residual on a lease than Infiniti does.

Are the new changes for 2008 available to anyone yet? Do any of you dealers have an order sheet or anything that may show new options or perhaps a backup camera!!

I just heard that they have stopped production on the 2006's and they are moving forward with rolling out the 2007. From what I hear the V8 2007 will have 340 horses and more updated options. (i.e. Bluetooth)