Birth of the Avanti  (approx 31 min B&W/Color)

One morning, Art Center graduate Tom Kellogg was awoken by an unexpected phone call.  A voice on the other end said, “Theese eese Raymond Loewy. Would you like to design a sport car with me?”  Not sure of what to say, Kellogg simply answered, “Yes.”  And thus began one of the most interesting collaborations in auto design history.  Birth of the Avanti takes an in-depth look at the design process and personalities that gave life to this timeless classic – through the eyes of one of its key contributors.

In the early 60s, Studebaker was a company in financial crisis.  Sherwood Egbert, their new president, was intent on coming out with a landmark product. One which would show people that Studebaker was back.  So, he turned to the man who had defined the Studebaker look so many times before, Mr. Raymond Loewy.  But this landmark product wasn’t going to be developed in South Bend or Detroit.  In a brilliant move, Loewy assembled his design team out in Palm Springs, California.  For the next five weeks in a rented desert house, a group of four men developed a scale model that would eventually become the Avanti.  Kellogg explains that they were inspired by the unusual landscape, the local girls and the burgeoning hot rod culture.  Clearly, this inspiration was a critical part of their design process.

Kellogg goes on to say that Loewy was an excellent “baton waver”, which means that he was skilled at directing the car’s design process.  Indeed, he wanted his design staff to express their own opinions and ideas rather than simply carry out his wishes.  After the five weeks, the team disbanded — hopeful that their hard work would become an automotive reality. Then, one day, Kellogg got another phone call.  This time from a Mercedes dealer, telling him an Avanti would be arriving at the airport.  Kellogg went to the airport, unsure of what he would find. To his delight, there were his sketches, come to life.

Birth of the Avanti also contains one bonus feature:  An original promotional short, intended to inform Studebaker dealers about the Avanti’s selling points.  To order this one-of-a-kind DVD, simply visit the Studebaker National Museum website.