Founded in 1852, Studebaker continued to make various automobiles until it closed production in 1966. Studebaker moved into the car industry with electric vehicles in 1902 and gasoline automobiles in 1904. In 1962 Studebaker rolled out the Gran Turismo Hawk in an attempt to create a sleeker, flashier image. For the 1963 model year, the company introduced the Avanti. The elegantly sporty Avanti was capable of reaching speeds of 170 MPH when fitted with an optional supercharged engine. It was the fastest production car ever on offer in America at the time.