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Thread: Small world time...

  1. #1
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    Small world time...

    I got a card in the mail today from a woman named Mary Anne Hanson of Leawood, KS. She must have gotten my name from the Hemmings article, I don't know. But she asked me if I had any "Studebaker News" magazines because at age 20 she bought a new Avanti from Wavra Motors in Grand Forks, ND and her photo was used in a "Studebaker News" magazine. She'd like to show it to her grandkids, although she has no idea what ever happened to the Avanti.

    I thought it sounded familiar. I only own three "Studebaker News" magazines...but by gosh, her photo is in one of my three....May 1963, with this information below the photo:

    "North Dakota premiere finds the first delivery of an Avanti in that state to a lady. The recipient here, Mary Anne McElroy, a student at the University of North Dakota, is shown taking delivery from George Wavra, Wavra Motors, Studebaker dealership in Grand Forks, North Dakota".

    I'm going to send her the magazine gratis.

    If I were out at the SNM archives, I'd look for her serial number in the production orders. Probably wouldn't take all that long...she said the car was gold and one could just look for the first car to go to North Dakota (although I realize 'first delivery' doesn't necessarily mean first car to get shipped to that state). The serial no. could be confirmed to the Retail Sale Card (Univac-style card) at the SNM.

    I sure wonder if the car survives. I'm going to ask her when I send the magazine, if she knows the serial no. but in all actuality I'd say that's a slim chance.

    More people have a warm connection with Studebaker than we ever know!

    Besides being a college girl with a new Avanti, her return address shows "Dr. and Mrs...." so she apparently has done OK!
    Last edited by Bill Pressler; 01-28-2011 at 03:06 PM. Reason: punctuation
    Bill Pressler
    Kent, OH
    \'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1 (sold new by Cordell Motors, Moorhead, MN)
    \'64 Daytona Hardtop (sold new by Carl E. Filer Co., Greenville, PA)



  2. #2
    Senior Member barnlark's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Pressler View Post
    More people have a warm connection with Studebaker than we ever know!

    Besides being a college girl with a new Avanti, her return address shows "Dr. and Mrs...." so she apparently has done OK!
    Unless it was Dr. Strangelove...<G> Bill, I'm not just saying this because we are good friends and you gave me a gift card to Dunkin' Donuts <G mmm>... but that thoughtful gesture is why I am proud to be part of the SDC. That's the kind of thing that makes an impact on people's lives outside of the Club and you have done that with the Hemmings article and now with the unlikelihood of having the very issue of her Avanti story. Good show.

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    Senior Member JBOYLE's Avatar
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    Wow, neat story...it would be great to give her "the rest of the story".
    With the high survival rate of Avantis, there's a good chance it's still around.
    63 Avanti R1 2788
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    Hmm, there are at least three gold '63 Avantis in the Hamilton chapter...how cool would it be if it turned out to be one of them...Keep us posted on how this story develops!

    S.

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    Bill, I sent you a PM. Jeff

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    Dave, thanks for the kind words. I love stories like this, can't help it!

    I've drafted a response to the lady, asking about more detailed information on the car and the serial no. if at all possible. I'll keep the forum updated with any responses.

    Thanks.
    Bill Pressler
    Kent, OH
    \'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1 (sold new by Cordell Motors, Moorhead, MN)
    \'64 Daytona Hardtop (sold new by Carl E. Filer Co., Greenville, PA)



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    Cool beans all around, Bill. It will be interesting to see where this goes, if her car is still around, etc. Be sure to ask her if she got your name from the Hemmings article or ???

    'Will be checking this topic as new posts are made. (Watch that Univac-type talk to us non-computer, non-accountant types. You could lose us! <GGG>) BP

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    Senior Member 4961Studebaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Pressler View Post
    Mary Anne Hanson of Leawood, KS. Besides being a college girl with a new Avanti, her return address shows "Dr. and Mrs...." so she apparently has done OK!

    Yes, that part of town is very nice.........aside from that just the mere fact that she reached out to you shows she still has fond enough memories of the Avanti to take the time to write and inquire about the car.

    Very cool indeed.

    It would be very nice if a reunion of sorts (photo op) could be made with her and the car. Bill pass along to her the many events that happen in the area.........she might just twist the husbands arm hard enough to visit a Meet.

    ChopStu

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    Member cycledog's Avatar
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    Neat story, do you have a scanner so you can share the picture with us?
    Working on old cars separates the men from the golfers.

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    Quote Originally Posted by cycledog View Post
    Neat story, do you have a scanner so you can share the picture with us?
    No, I sure don't, plus I already mailed her the magazine. She seemed tall (well, at least as tall as the owner of the Studebaker dealership!) and very slim. The Avanti was seen from the front, square-on. It was a black-and-white photo and it was small.
    Bill Pressler
    Kent, OH
    \'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1 (sold new by Cordell Motors, Moorhead, MN)
    \'64 Daytona Hardtop (sold new by Carl E. Filer Co., Greenville, PA)



  11. #11
    Senior Member jims53's Avatar
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    Is this the picture of the girl???
    [img][/img]
    Jim

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    Senior Member Bob Andrews's Avatar
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    Great story, Bill! Hope the car is found, what a cool story for TW!

    BTW, you have a PM...
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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by jims53 View Post
    Is this the picture of the girl???
    That's her!
    Bill Pressler
    Kent, OH
    \'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1 (sold new by Cordell Motors, Moorhead, MN)
    \'64 Daytona Hardtop (sold new by Carl E. Filer Co., Greenville, PA)



  14. #14
    Senior Member Rerun's Avatar
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    Great story, Bill! I know how much you enjoy the historical aspects of the hobby. This has to be great fun for you.

    Please keep us posted. This one sounds like it could develop into a bigger story. Imagine if she were to buy her old Studebaker back again. Maybe that's just too far-fetched.
    Jim Bradley
    Lewistown PA
    '78 Avanti II

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    "Pics or it didn't happen"? Well, it happened.

    I knew she'd be real purty. I just knew it.
    Bet she's still real purty.
    It's...an Avanti thing.
    (Or, on odd-numbered days, a Nort'Dakota t'ing.)

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    Senior Member JBOYLE's Avatar
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    A 20 year old buying a $5000 + - car in 1963, she must have been well-off.
    In 1963 my father was an Air Force major on flying pay (albeit with 4 kids), and he could only afford a $3200 Rambler V-8.

    This is a geat story for TW...hope someone comes up with a VIN.
    63 Avanti R1 2788
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    Quote Originally Posted by JBOYLE View Post
    A 20 year old buying a $5000 + - car in 1963, she must have been well-off.
    That got me to thinking what would be the price in 2010 dollars adjusted for inflation ....

    Using the calculator at this website: https://www.coinnews.net/tools/cpi-inflation-calculator/

    Here's the result ....

    John


    63R2386 under restoration & modification: https://s429.photobucket.com/albums/q...view=slideshow

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    Interestingly my friend Richard Pianca (Davenport, IA) owns Avanti Serial 63R 3621 that was sold new from Wavra Motors. However his car is turquoise and always has been. Many small town dealers never sold any Avantis esp in the hinterlands. However we know Wavra sold at least two.
    Richard Quinn
    Editor emeritus: Antique Studebaker Review

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    Quote Originally Posted by Studebaker Wheel View Post
    Interestingly my friend Richard Pianca (Davenport, IA) owns Avanti Serial 63R 3621 that was sold new from Wavra Motors. However his car is turquoise and always has been. Many small town dealers never sold any Avantis esp in the hinterlands. However we know Wavra sold at least two.
    Thanks Richard. I think the chance is high that Mary Anne's is a lower serial no. than that.

    As you might imagine, Carl E. Filer Co. (signature photo) never sold a single Avanti, although had a turquoise one in for a "Special Salon Showing". Carl Jr. told me he had no serious "bites" on it, but a lot of folks who just wanted to "hot dog" drive an Avanti. They did sell a black '64 R2 Cruiser with the "Super" package to an employee.

    I wonder what size town Grand Forks is. I'll have to google it.
    Bill Pressler
    Kent, OH
    \'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1 (sold new by Cordell Motors, Moorhead, MN)
    \'64 Daytona Hardtop (sold new by Carl E. Filer Co., Greenville, PA)



  20. #20
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    Grand Forks' population is 55,000.

    Heck, that's a big city to me!

    Their website mentions a lot of things that make it sound like it's a good place to live...really.

    https://www.grandforksgov.com/gfgov/h...ts-at-a-Glance
    Bill Pressler
    Kent, OH
    \'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1 (sold new by Cordell Motors, Moorhead, MN)
    \'64 Daytona Hardtop (sold new by Carl E. Filer Co., Greenville, PA)



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    Smile

    Quote Originally Posted by Rerun View Post
    Great story, Bill! I know how much you enjoy the historical aspects of the hobby. This has to be great fun for you.

    Please keep us posted. This one sounds like it could develop into a bigger story. Imagine if she were to buy her old Studebaker back again. Maybe that's just too far-fetched.
    Yeah, who would ever buy their old car back?!
    Bill Pressler
    Kent, OH
    \'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1 (sold new by Cordell Motors, Moorhead, MN)
    \'64 Daytona Hardtop (sold new by Carl E. Filer Co., Greenville, PA)



  22. #22
    Senior Member Milaca's Avatar
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    Very interesting story Bill, would be interesting to learn more background of this lady and why she decided to buy an Avanti. Perhaps her family always drove Studebakers? Perhaps they had family or friend connections with the dealership? Maybe she had a fascination with fiberglass and didnt like those two-seater cars from Detroit?
    In the middle of MinneSTUDEa.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Studebaker Wheel View Post
    Interestingly my friend Richard Pianca (Davenport, IA) owns Avanti Serial 63R 3621 that was sold new from Wavra Motors. However his car is turquoise and always has been. Many small town dealers never sold any Avantis esp in the hinterlands. However we know Wavra sold at least two.
    I think that most Studebaker dealers, especially small town operations, did not know how to sell a car like an Avanti. Knight's Garage in Wappingers Falls got one 1963 Avanti in stock. Just recently, I was talking with a friend. Since I had an Avanti sweatshirt on, Avantis came up in conversation. He related how he was interested in a 1963 Avanti. He went to Knight's Garage and wanted to drive theirs. He arrived in his Corvette (1960, IIRC) and had a good job at the Texaco Research Lab. Knights wouldn't let him drive the Avanti. They did take him for a ride with him in the back seat and another potential customer in the front seat. I think that he purchased another Corvette. He still has numerous Chevrolets. Knights had that Avanti in stock for a long time - more than a year. I lost track of what happened to it. It probably went to another dealer on a swap (for a Lark type).
    Gary L.
    Wappinger, NY

    SDC member since 1968
    Studebaker enthusiast much longer

  24. #24
    Good morning, Gentlemen! So much to share with you - the turquoise Avanti was in the UND homecoming parade in the fall of 1963 - with George Wavra driving, The "tall slim purty girl" in the photo with the Avanti Gold one is a well-rounded, gray-haired grandmother who would LOVE to find her old Avanti. I fell in love with its design lines the summer of 1962 when a small ad appeared in the New Yorker magazine. Showed it to my father and told him that was the car I wanted, and nothing else would do. Being a wise man, he said something along the lines of "yup" and went back to smoking his pipe. He was friends with Mr. Wavra, and Grand Forks was was sort of town where we all knew each other. Population then was probably around 30,000, including the University. I worked that summer, saved everything I could, and Dad matched it. More later - time to watch the blizzard and the hawk looking for food!

  25. #25
    Senior Member bob40's Avatar
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    Welcome to the Forum Mary Anne. Glad to have you here.

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    "The serial no. could be confirmed to the Retail Sale Card (Univac-style card) at the SNM."
    I didn't know you could get that info from thr SNM. I've been trying to track down my Dad's Avanti. George Krem came up with a serial # that probably was his car, can the museum verify that?

  27. #27
    Senior Member barnlark's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by karterfred88 View Post
    "The serial no. could be confirmed to the Retail Sale Card (Univac-style card) at the SNM."
    I didn't know you could get that info from the SNM. I've been trying to track down my Dad's Avanti. George Krem came up with a serial # that probably was his car, can the museum verify that?
    Yes, for a price. Depends on the time it takes when you are doing a tougher search with less info like Mary Anne, above.

    I sure hope that Avanti that the nice widow from Sandusky, Ohio had been selling last year isn't the one Mary Anne is looking for; same color combo. It finally sold after she dealt with more than a few squirrels from her Hemmings ad for over a year. I can find out the serial number, though.

  28. #28
    Senior Member JBOYLE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Studebaker Wheel View Post
    Interestingly my friend Richard Pianca (Davenport, IA) owns Avanti Serial 63R 3621 that was sold new from Wavra Motors. However his car is turquoise and always has been. Many small town dealers never sold any Avantis esp in the hinterlands. However we know Wavra sold at least two.
    In the 60s, Grand Forks was home to a good sized air force base, with ADC (air defense) fighters and SAC bombers and tankers.
    That meant a good-sized number of young, (reasonably) well paid pilots and others who were firmly in Avanti (and Corvette) demographics.
    Last edited by JBOYLE; 02-01-2011 at 07:14 PM.
    63 Avanti R1 2788
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    Quote Originally Posted by karterfred88 View Post
    "The serial no. could be confirmed to the Retail Sale Card (Univac-style card) at the SNM."
    I didn't know you could get that info from thr SNM. I've been trying to track down my Dad's Avanti. George Krem came up with a serial # that probably was his car, can the museum verify that?
    Fred, if you have a serial no. to send an email or letter to the SNM archives, they should be able to pull a retail sales card up, although for '63 the files don't seem as complete as other years. It's a punch card with printed name and address of the first purchaser. For cars delivered Sept. '63 and later, there is also a card that was filled out at the dealer in longhand, showing the name of original purchaser, address, occupation, and what they traded in. To get this, they'd need to look at the shipping certificate to get the dealer code no., as that is how these cards are filed at the SNM--dealer code no., then month.

    You could contact the archivist and see if there is a retail sale card (Univac-style) for that serial no. and if so, if your Dad's name is on it. If so, you could ask for a copy. I think they would most likely charge you $25 plus a quarter for a copy of the form. I believe that's their minimum charge.

    Not sure if they'd charge you if it wasn't your Dad's car or not.

    Of course, even if it isn't your Dad's car, you might consider a tax-deductible donation to the Studebaker National Museum for their time--they are my favorite charity.
    Bill Pressler
    Kent, OH
    \'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1 (sold new by Cordell Motors, Moorhead, MN)
    \'64 Daytona Hardtop (sold new by Carl E. Filer Co., Greenville, PA)



  30. #30
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    Glad to see you here Mary Anne! Got your email yesterday. I'll respond this evening, as I'm (ahem) supposed to be working at home today!
    Last edited by Bill Pressler; 02-02-2011 at 12:20 PM. Reason: to fix dumb spelling mistake
    Bill Pressler
    Kent, OH
    \'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1 (sold new by Cordell Motors, Moorhead, MN)
    \'64 Daytona Hardtop (sold new by Carl E. Filer Co., Greenville, PA)



  31. #31
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    This sounds like a future article for TW, Hemmings, or Classic Car, sounds to me Bill its time for you to write another award winning article for those who don't search the web.
    Joseph Kastellec

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    I emailed Richard Quinn all the data I have on avanti 3621 sold by Wavra Motors. dates, names, etc..........trusting Richard will address it here on the forum to round out the Wavra Motor sale of two Avanti we know of so fare.
    Richard

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    Mary Ann did/do you know Cheryl Kristjanson, Gtand Forks, ND I have the turquoise avanti sold by Wavra Motors titled to her in 1964.
    Richard

  34. #34
    I'd like to email you later with our thoughts on this "mystery" but don't know how to do a "private" posting. Thanks - Mary Anne

  35. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mary Anne View Post
    I'd like to email you later with our thoughts on this "mystery" but don't know how to do a "private" posting. Thanks - Mary Anne
    Mary Anne: If you want to send "Retired" a Private Message, click on his name in any of his posts.

    A menu will drop down that includes the option "Send Private Message."

    Click on that option and the screen will appear with instructions on composing and then sending "Retired" a Private Message. BP

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    Mary Ann, email me at LTCRP@q.com. Richard
    Richard

  37. #37
    Did you get the PM or the email?

  38. #38
    Senior Member 8E45E's Avatar
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    In 1984, there was a gold Avanti owned by Grant Goldade in Bismark. In a way, I hope his isn't your car as it was in an accident about ten or so years ago:

    https://groups.google.com/group/alt.a...75cb98659b8b46

    Craig
    Last edited by 8E45E; 02-09-2011 at 08:05 PM.

  39. #39
    Ouch! I hate it when that happens! I also hope it wasn't "mine." Time will tell on this "Find MA's Avanti" treasure hunt.

  40. #40
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    email, to be honest, I don't know how the Pm would show up, maybe Bob Palma would be so kind and explain how it works..OK Bob.
    Richard

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