Was the avanti the first front wheel American car?

No, the Avanti was not the first front-wheel-drive American car. The first front-wheel-drive production car in the U.S. is generally considered to be the 1937 Cord 810. The Avanti, produced by Studebaker in the early 1960s, was notable for its design and performance but was not the pioneer in front-wheel-drive technology in America.