The 2007 Avanti continues to be built on a Mustang chassis. The standard and only powertrain is the standard Mustang 300-horse 3-valve V-8, with 5-speed automatic transmission. The car is offered in a convertible model, using the standard Mustang top, or a coupe using a unique side and back roof.
Other technical specifications are identical, except for the 245/40-18 and 275/40-18 tires fr/rr. The interior is again standard Mustang GT, with the Avanti logo sewn into the door and seat panels. The dashboard is wood, eliminating the large chrome rings around the speedo and tach. No more than 150 Avantis are produced each year.
As of October 2006, the Avanti is built in Cancun, Mexico in a new 100,000 square foot industrial complex. an Avanti/Studebaker museum is included, but information as to whether this is open to the public for viewing is not provided. Plant tours are available by request and appointment.
Given the success of the Honda S2000, and the announcement of the new 2008 S2000 CR package, it's time to take a look at the history of the "S" line. The S500, S600, and S800 were the '60s predecessors of today's S2000, although with performance and size more appropriate to that era.
I've added a new section to my S2000Enthusiast.com site, with >120 detailed images of the S600. The 1966 model shown had a .6 liter engine that revved to a redline of 9500 RPM, backed up by a 4-speed manual transmission. When you see the car run, when you hear it, and when you drive it you are immediately taken with how much it sounds like and drives like an S2000. Although the 0-60 is well over 13 seconds, and the top speed is only 90 MPH (versus ~5 seconds flat and a top speed of the high 150s for the S2000).
The S600 was preceded by the half-liter S500, and followed by the S800 - the last of the line. Lack of emissions capability and future crash standards would kill the car, and the concept wouldn't return for 30 years. Nonetheless, 13000 S600s were produced and the much-improved S800 was also very successful. It is thought that less than 20 "S" Hondas were imported into the United States, and it's not known how many survive.
The S600 pictured here is located at the Lane Museum in Nashville, TN. It's completely unrestored, and is driven on occasion (as are nearly all of the cars in the Lane Museum). If you haven't been to the Lane Museum, you owe it to yourself. This is a great museum for the enthusiast!
Honda, Toyota, and Nissan all offered small and economical front-engine rear wheel drive sports cars. A 1967 Toyota Sports 800 is shown parked in front of a 1966 Honda S600 in this image:
Safety, emissions, and a yearn for even more power and handling ended this age. Honda didn't play again for 30 years, however Nissan brought out the famous 240Z and Toyota the ultra-rare 2000GT.
Go to the S2000Enthusiast.com site and look in the new "History" section for the full report and set of pictures.
Stella Stevens serves Dean Martin a drink while they cruise in the Sex Wagon, the 1966 Mercury Station Wagon that served as a love nest for the screen legends in the 1966 spy movie "The Silencers." The groovy custom car features two separate bedrooms, a fully-stocked martini bar, a tailgate modified to lower as a step, and a TV. After 39 years in storage, the Sex Wagon is now on public display at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, IL. (PRNewsFoto/Volo Auto Museum)
After 39 years of hibernation, the 1966 Mercury Station Wagon that served as a love nest for Dean Martin and Stella Stevens in the 1966 movie "The Silencers" is now on permanent display at the Volo Auto Museum. A stylish, sexy adventure in the tradition of James Bond, "The Silencers" was a big hit for screen legend Martin and Playboy model Stevens. As secret agent Matt Helm, Martin saves the planet from a megalomaniac and his dastardly covert organization. George Barris, builder of the original Batmobile and other famous Hollywood cars, created the perfect mode of transportation for a spy living the swinging lifestyle made popular by Martin and his Rat Pack friends. The Sex Wagon, as it's referred to in the movie, features two separate bedrooms clad in leather upholstery, a fully-stocked martini bar, a tailgate modified to lower as a step, and a working TV, which was a big deal in 1966.
The museum recently purchased the wagon from the private estate of Swing Dance Hall of Fame Member Lou "Bart" Bartolo. A big fan of the three Matt Helm films, Bartolo purchased the wagon from a back-lot sale at Columbia Pictures in 1967 and kept it in storage until his recent death. The museum spent months restoring the vehicle to its original condition. On July 1, 2006, during a special event at the museum, Barris was reunited with his Sex Wagon for the first time in nearly forty years. Believing the vehicle had been destroyed, Barris was shocked and thrilled to see the wagon once again and began to recall stories of Martin and Stevens and the production of "The Silencers." "For me, this car is a great reminder of a very special time in Hollywood history," he said. "It brings back a lot of good memories."
The Volo Auto Museum is home to the George Barris TV & Movie Car Collection, featuring the original Batmobile, The General Lee, K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider and close to 50 other famous vehicles. The Volo Auto Museum, 27582 W. Volo Village Road, Volo, IL, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $8.95. Special rates are available for children, seniors, veterans and active military.
