Excalibur (automobile)

The Excalibur automobile is a car styled after the 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK by Brooks Stevens for Studebaker. Stevens subsequently formed a company to manufacture and market the cars, which were a standard Studebaker chassis with special bodywork (and soon got an upgraded engine as well).[1] The Excalibur has a Neoclassic design, a term used to designate automobiles produced in the 1960s–1990s in the elegant and prestigious style cars of the 1920s and 1930s. Zimmer and Tiffany are two additional examples of Neoclassic design.

History

A prototype premiered at car shows in 1963, fitted on a Studebaker Lark Convertible chassis and using a 290 hp Studebaker 289 V-8. Studebaker ceased engine production in December 1963 and consolidating all manufacturing to its Hamilton, Ontario, plant, ending the availability of that engine.[2]

Stevens subsequently obtained engines from General Motors through his friends GM executives Ed Cole and Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen. Over 3,500 Excalibur cars were built, all in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[2] The American comedian Phyllis Diller was a notable proponent of the Excalibur automobile, and owned four of them.[3]

The company failed in 1986 but was revived several times.[4] Series production of the Excalibur continued until 1990,[5]

Series I

Built between 1965 and 1969 (and sold into 1970 from existing stock), the Series I was available as the Excalibur SS or the supercharged SSK. These were Chevrolet 327s in 300 hp Corvette tune, making the 2100 lb Excalibur a strong performer: with the standard 3.31:1 rear axle, acceleration from 0 - 60 mph took less than six seconds.[6] Projected top speed was 134 mph.[7] The Series I car used a batch of 400 unusable Studebaker Lark chassis bought from the failing manufacturer.

The initial, "Step-Over" design had no doors and used cycle fenders. For 1966, a roadster with proper mudguards and running boards was introduced, as well as the four-seater Phaeton model.

Series II

The Series II was about 2 in longer than the Series I, initially sitting on a wheelbase of 111 in. The cars were now built on an assembly line, with proper contracts from parts and assembly suppliers. The chassis was no longer from Studebaker; instead Excalibur developed their own ladder frame chassis with suspension parts and the four-wheel disc brakes from the Corvette. The engine was Chevrolet's 350 V8, still producing 300 hp. The molds for the bodyworks were refined and equipment levels considerably increased, which justified a price which was nearly double that of the initial model.[8] Bodystyles included the SS Roadster, SSK Roadster, and SS Phaeton. The SSK, a sportier model with cycle fenders and no running boards, was only available in 1970. Sales however, dropped precipitously: only 37 examples were built in 1970, and none in 1971.[8]

Excalibur changed the design thoroughly for 1972, and sales rebounded in 1972, with 122 cars built that year. The chassis was now a ladder-frame rear with central X-frame cross bracing, matched to the front end from a Camaro; the wheelbase went up to 112 in.[8] The new chassis allowed Excalibur to fit Chevrolet's 7.439 L Big Block V8. Originally with 330 hp, claimed power dropped as outputs changed to net rather than gross: the 1974 Excalibur claimed 270 hp. The first model years have a windshield which could be folded forward; this was changed for a fixed unit for 1973 to meet new safety standards.

Series III

With the Series III, which appeared for the 1975 model year, sales took off, reaching 367 examples by 1979 - although the higher production rate lowered the quality of the cars. Total production was 1,141 cars (some sources state 1,185), of which only 76 were Roadsters. The Series III kept a modified version of the Series II's ladder frame chassis. As Detroit's engines and outputs shrunk after the fuel crisis Excalibur had to switch to the truck version of the 454, producing 215 hp. The Series III kept using the Super Beetle's taillights, but the fenders were no more enveloping, eschewing the open sides of the Series I and II cars. The car also received new bumpers and various other revisions to remain compliant with safety legislation.

Series IV

Introduced for the 1980 model year, this was the first significant redesign of the Excalibur. With the Phaeton representing the lion's share of the production, a Roadster was not available until the 1981 model year. The Series IV has a more angular, heavier look more reminiscent of the 500K/540K than the SS/SSK which inspired the initial three series. The Series IV was also the first Excalibur to feature wind-up windows, and thanks to a considerably longer wheelbase even the Roadster was now a four-seater. To stay abreast of emissions rules, Excalibur switched back to General Motors' small-block V8, this time using the 5.001 L version with 155 hp. The only transmission option was a three-speed automatic. With this generation, the side cowl exhausts were no longer functional, unlike on earlier Excaliburs.[12]

In 1984, to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary, a special edition was released. Limited to fifty examples, these are all painted in two-tone white over gray with a matching gray Connolly leather interior.[13]

Series V

The Series V continued Excalibur's pattern of a significant revision every five years, although the Series V was mostly just a better equipped Series IV, using more bespoke parts at the interior. For 1986, the Excalibur benefitted from the introduction of the centre, high-mounted stop light. After the Excalibur company went bankrupt in 1986, it was reformed in 1987, with the new company keeping the Series IV in production and also introducing a four-door sedan and a long-wheelbase limousine. 101 sedans and 13 limousines were built of the Series V, with a handful more being turned out after the bankruptcy. 9 of the sedans were also turned into long wheelbase limousines by outside coachbuilders in 1988 and 1989.[14]

Excalibur kept building the Series V until they went bankrupt again in 1990. Two attempts were made to start production again in 1991, but no cars were built until 1994, when the Series VI was introduced.

Series VI

After Udo and Jens Geitlinger's limited relaunch of Excalibur in 1992, they introduced the Series VI in 1994. A lightly updated Series V, the Series VI was fitted with the then-current Corvette's LT1 engine, producing 300 hp. Around two dozen had been built by the time production halted for good in 1997.[15]

See also

• Clénet Coachworks
• Cumberford Martinique
• Desande
• Sherwood Egbert
• Stutz Blackhawk
• Zimmer (automobile)

External links

• Site d'information sur l'automobile Excalibur (France)