The 2005 Avanti Is A Forgotten Mustang-Based Convertible That Could Be Yours

Back in the early 2000s, retro design was in, and practically all major American manufacturers were using it on their cars. Some of the products of this trend included the Ford Mustang, the Chevy Camaro, the Dodge Challenger, and the infamous Chrysler PT Cruiser. However, one that many might not know of is the Avanti.

And that’s for good reason, as a little over 300 units based on Pontiac’s Firebird Trans AM or Formula were made from around 2000 through 2003 (or 2004, depending on the source) and less than 50 built on the 4th-gen Ford Mustang from 2004 (or 2005) through 2007, are believed to have been manufactured by Avanti Motors Corp., according to the registry at Theavanti, before the project was axed.

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The hope was that would be able to revive the Avanti sports car produced by Studebaker in the 1960s, but that obviously didn’t happen. Now, one of the Ford Mustang-based models is up for sale on eBay for $58,998. The listing claims it’s one of “five built in 2005”. For what it’s worth, the VIN number on the listing corresponds to a 2004 Ford Mustang GT. Obviously, with these kind of vehicles, buyers should always exercise due diligence prior to the acquisition.

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The car was based on the Mustang of the time, and as such features similar proportions. That being said, they did do a good job with the overall styling, as with details like the protruding fenders, circular headlights, and smooth rear end with narrow taillights, you can definitely tell what car they’re paying homage to – assuming you’ve already seen one before.

Like the exterior, the interior is different enough from the original design, but there are still traces of the Mustang underneath. Things like the dash shape, air vents, and trim pieces have all been changed, but items like the seats, door cards, steering wheel, center console, and radio/climate controls all remain the same as Ford’s beloved pony car. There’s also a white gauge cluster as well as new stitching and Avanti badging in Sunburst Yellow to match the exterior, but we’d consider those minor changes at best, and nothing that couldn’t otherwise be done to a normal Mustang.

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Finally, there’s the engine, which, if you’ve ever spent any time around an early-2000’s Mustang GT, you’ll recognize. Power is provided by Ford’s tried-and-true 4.6-liter V8, which in this car makes 260 hp (263 PS / 194 kW) and 302 lb-ft (409 Nm) of torque. That engine then sends its power to the rear wheels by way of an AOD four-speed automatic transmission.

Correction: A previous version of this story erroneously reported that the Avanti was built by Ford. The Avanti roadster was based on a Ford, the 4th-generation Mustang, and built by Avanti Motors Corp. We apologize for the mistake.