Gleaned from Internet sources - regretfully didn't mark down all origin(s)

(Dec 2007)
The white one shipped to Moline, R5642 and sold at auction by Dick Marty 
has a short enough history that it should still have the original engine. 

R5642 was originally shipped to Moline IL.<P>

R5642 Toronto but rumored sold / 5642 Was sold by Dick Marty in Canada at
 a RM auction about 2004

R5642 was built without P/S.  ( but has quick manual steering)

R5642 history (Oct 2008) by Richard Pianca (SDC Forum-Retired)

Henry Hargrove owned H&H Motors in Moline Illinois and was in need of 
some money to keep his  dealership afloat.  His uncle loaned him a sum 
of money and was not being repaid in a timely  manner, so the uncle 
ordered the white R-3 (R-5642).  

Upon delivery he took it as a partial payment (for the loan).  Geo Krem 
ultimately traded the uncle, his low mileage gold Avanti, a trailer and 
if memory
 serves me correctly a Lark of some sort for the R-3. 

A few years ago, I received a telephone call from the uncles widow asking 
assistance in selling  the gold Avanti. (The uncle had died eleven years prior).

It was sold to a gent in the Chicago suburbs. He detailed the chassis and
 motor and motor  compartment and has had it at a couple of SDC meets. It 
was still a very low mileage car. 

I looked at H&H Motors dealership record in So.Bend. His franchise was an
 on and off thing. I  guess when his financial status fell below a stated 
amount Studebaker would cancel his contract  only to be reinstated when he 
was financially sound.

----------------
Feb 2008
	A few years ago, I replaced a rear axle bearing on a factory R3 Avanti 
(R5642). The axle appeared to be a Ford 1/2 ton model 44 axle, narrowed to 
suit the Avanti. The bearing kit was accessed from a local parts store as 
part no. CR88128-R for an early 60's to late 70's Ford pickup and came complete
 with the wedding band. The axle shaft had 2 welds, one on the outer flange
 and one at the inner hub extreme, both being peripheral welds. The machine
 shop that pressed the bearing off and on stated that the welding was typical
 of that performed on narrowing axles for drag racers. As pointed out, the
 axle tubes were larger in diameter and the shafts were quite stout compared 
to the Stude axle. Unfortunately, I didn't take any measurements.
Bill Patterson
Location:  	Glenburnie, Ontario
Canada