[mugs99]

When GM bought the Fisher bodyworks they refused to sell to Studebacker and put them out of business

GM bought Fisher Bodyworks in 1926. All GM cars from 1919 had bodies by Fisher. The Corvette is the only GM car that was not designed and stamped out by Fisher.

The price war between GM and Ford did Studebaker in. You couldn't manufacture Studebaker quality at Ford and Chevy prices. Studebaker engines ran forever, but engine endurance wasn't a strong selling point in the days of cheap Ford and Chevy engines.

You're right about the Avanti. I can't think of any modern car that will keep up with an Avanti.
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[beaver fever]

My understanding is that GM stopped production of Fisher bodied Studebakers in 1964, maybe they needed to increase capacity and Studebacker was a drag on production.

But Fisher was a design studio as well as a production facility. I think the Avanti scared the GM bureaucrats

I still remember the step-plate on my dad's 53 Studebacker Commander and my own 64 Chevy II; Body by Fisher.
The Avanti was way ahead of it's time even for the Italians.

[Spktyr]

Up until the post war era. After about 1960, a lot more cars started coming from GM without the Fisher markings.

[Spktyr]

Also, production Avantis are *slow* by modern standards. The new GTO, the C5 Vette, the new Mustang GT, all of them are faster and quicker than the Avanti, which was still in production until a couple years ago.