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The Excalibur automobile was a car styled after the 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK by Brooks Stevens for
Excalibur SS (4633350948).jpg, 1960s SS
1984 Excalibur Series IV Phaeton (5409795985).jpg, 1980s Phaeton
NeoClassicExcalibur.jpg, 1980s SS
Site d'information sur l'automobile Excalibur
(France) Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Wisconsin Retro-style automobiles {{Classicpow-auto-stub
The Excalibur automobile was a car styled after the 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK by Brooks Stevens for Studebaker
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers ...
. Stevens subsequently formed a company to manufacture and market the cars, which were a standard Studebaker car with special bodywork (and soon got an upgraded engine as well).
A prototype premiered at car shows in 1963, fitted on a Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk chassis and using a Studebaker 289 V-8. Studebaker ceased engine production in December 1963 and transitioned all manufacturing to its Hamilton, Ontario plant, ending the availability of that engine.
Stevens subsequently obtained engines from General Motors through his friends GM executives Ed Cole and Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen
Semon Emil "Bunkie" Knudsen (October 2, 1912 – July 6, 1998) was an American automobile executive.
Early life
Semon Emil Knudsen was born on October 2, 1912 in Buffalo, New York. He was the son of former General Motors President, and Army thr ...
. These were Chevrolet 327s in Corvette tune, making the Excalibur a strong performer. With the standard 3.31:1 rear axle, acceleration from took less than six seconds. Projected top speed was .
Over 3,500 Excalibur cars were built, all in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
. The American comedian Phyllis Diller was a notable proponent of the Excalibur automobile, and owned four of them.
The company failed in 1986 but was revived several times. Production of the Excalibur continued until 1990.
See also
* Clénet Coachworks * Cumberford Martinique * Sherwood Egbert * Stutz Blackhawk * Zimmer (automobile)References
External links
Site d'information sur l'automobile Excalibur
(France) Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Wisconsin Retro-style automobiles {{Classicpow-auto-stub