"The Contemporary Classic"
The Factory cars of Excalibur Automobile Corp. (SS Automobiles)
Brooks Stevens, The Famous Designer You've Never Heard Of
Excalibur (1965 to 1996)
The SS Automobiles, later became Excalibur Automobile Corp. which is often referred to as simply the Excalibur. Excalibur was a series of Neoclassic cars that entered production in 1965. The Excalibur is widely considered to be the first Neoclassical car, which features styling drawing heavily from the 1920's and 1930's, while providing modern mechanicals including engines and chassis. Over the course of production, only Chevrolet V8 engines were fitted to the Excalibur, of differing displacements and power. Six generations of the Excalibur were built: Series I (1965-1969), Series II (1970-1974), Series III (1975-1979), Series IV (1980-1984), Series V (1985-1990), and Series VI (1994-1996).
Excalibur - Series I (1965 to 1969) Production Numbers
The Excalibur entered production in 1965 after initially debuting a prototype back in 1963. The first generation of the Excalibur is known as the Series I and often referred to as the SI. These cars were initially built in a two seat convertible roadster body style, but soon after a two door, four seat phaeton debuted. Power for these cars came from a Corvette-sourced 327ci V8 engine that generated 300hp. Drive was sent to the rear wheels through a manual or automatic transmission. Production of the Series I Excalibur lasted until 1969, after which it was replaced by the Series II Excalibur.
Excalibur - Series II (1970 to 1974) Production Numbers
The second evolution of the Excalibur was introduced for 1970. Known as the Series II, or SII, these cars received a bespoke chassis, as well as various components like the brakes and suspension from a Corvette. In addition to mechanical improvements, the Excalibur gained a raft of luxuries and equipment, making it a more complete package. Notably, a 350ci V8 became the new standard engine, while a 454ci V8 was optional. Bot manual and automatic transmissions were available. Production of the Series II Excalibur ended in 1974, before being replaced by the Series III Excalibur.
Excalibur - Series III (1975 to 1979)Production Numbers
The third generation, or Series III of the Excalibur debuted for 1975. The Series III, which is also referred to as the SIII, was built as a two seat Roadster or four seat Phaeton. These convertible cars were offered as standard with a Corvette-sourced 454ci V8 engine that was paired to manual or automatic transmission options. Production of the Series III Excalibur ended in 1979, with the Series IV Excalibur replacing it.
Excalibur Series IV Production Numbers
The fourth evolution of the Excalibur was known as the Series IV and was introduced for the 1980 model year. The Series IV received a new chassis that was 13 inches longer than its predecessor, but still available in a roadster or phaeton body style. A range of updates were featured on the Series IV as well as the first significant styling update in the cars production. The Series IV saw the Excalibur shift more towards an emulation of the Mercedes 540K instead of the Mercedes SSK, which had previously been the most similar aesthetic. Also new was the GM-sourced 5.0L (305ci) V8 engine that was exclusively paired to an automatic transmission to send drive to the rear wheels. Production of the Series IV Excalibur ended in 1984 when it was replaced by the Series V Excalibur.
Excalibur Series V Production Numbers
Excalibur Limited Edition
Videos
Brooks Stevens The Most Famous Designer You've Never Heard Of
Join Studebaker National Museum Curator Kyle Sater for an exploration into the life and works of Milwaukee-based industrial designer Brooks Stevens, who styled everything from the wide-mouth peanut butter jar to the famous Oscar Mayer Weinermobile.
Industrial Designer Brooks Stevens
Profile of Milwaukee industrial designer Brooks Stevens. He designed home furnishings, appliances, automobiles and motorcycles. Of note were his designs for the Jeep Wagoneer, Oscar Mayer's Wienermobile, Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the Miller Brewing Company logo. He popularized the phrase "planned obsolescence."
Excalibur 1964-1984 Historic film
Excalibur 1964-1984 Historic film
Original Source - unknown
Videos
1963 Studebaker Excalibur Prototype #1
In this episode we will cover the story of the Studebaker Excalibur Prototype #1, which is an iconic car with a rich history and unique design features. The guest “Jim Pepper”, an expert in the automotive industry, will guide the audience through the technical specifications, early concept stages, and how it became a highly sought-after collector's item.
Excalibur, the iconic luxury car that was made in Milwaukee
One of the coolest ever looking cars was made in Milwaukee and West Allis. It's called Excalibur.
Excalibur - Camelot Classic Cars used to make cars for stars
Camelot Classic Cars used to make cars for stars. This week's Made in Wisconsin has some star power. Camelot Classic Cars sold cars to Dean Martin, Dick Van Dyke, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phyllis Diller.
1982 Excalibur Phaeton - The 1980's Car of the Movie Stars & Ride on My Car Story with Lou Costabile
We're looking at a 1982 Excalibur Series IV Phaeton in white paint. Mike shares as a teen he remembers seeing a Corvette and an Excalibur pull up alongside him at a stop light, and thought one day he’d like to own those cars. His dream eventually came true.