Continuing on with the Hooniverse Neo-Classical Weekend, and I want to take time to discuss one of the oldest Neo-Classics, the Excalibur. This car was designed by Industrial Designer Brooks Stevens, and was styled after the 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK. So let’s see how the Excalibur went from becoming a true performance car to one that was the design inspiration of all other Neo-Classic Barcaloungers.
A prototype Excalibur premiered at car shows in 1963, fitted on a Studebaker chassis and using a 290-horsepower Studebaker 289 V-8. Studebaker subsequently ceased its operations, ending the availability of its 289 V-8. General Motors friends Ed Cole and “Bunkie” Knudsen agreed to provide Brooks Stevens with Chevrolet 327s in 300-bhp Corvette tune, making the 2100-pound Excalibur a strong performer.
This is a 1966 Excalibur Series I Roadster, and with only 31,000 miles on the odometer. It has been updated to look more like a Mercedes SS with proper knock off wire wheels, and twin Brookland Windscreens. Powering this Series I is a Chevrolet 327CID V8, producing 300HP. Unfortunately, its equipped with an automatic, but who cares, just look at it. There was only 154 Series I Excaliburs produced, so it is rather rare. The price of this car is $39,900, which is also rarefied, but take a look at the listing, and tell me what you think of this car.
This is a 1984 Excalibur Series IV Phaeton, with only 26,000 miles on the odometer. This is the very pinnacle of bad taste, and is a perfect example of how far the brand went from desirable to disrespectful. The body is entirely fiberglass, the engine is a Chevrolet 5.0L Lump, and the top speed is somewhere near 112 MPH. There is enough crap hanging off this thing to supply a Pep Boys store for a month and includes Cop Style “A” Pillar Lamps, Four Trumpet Horns, a free standing driving lamp, and more. The asking price for this rolling cartoon character is $57,500. Take a look at the listing here, and tell me what you think of how the Excalibur Brand was handled.
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