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 car with special bodywork (and soon got an upgraded engine as well).[1]
A prototype premiered at car shows in 1963, fitted on a Studebaker Lark Convertible chassis and using a 290bhp 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. These were Chevrolet 327s in 300bhp Corvette tune, making the 2100lb Excalibur a strong performer. With the standard 3.31:1 rear axle, acceleration from took less than six seconds.[3] Projected top speed was .[4]
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.[5]
The company failed in 1986 but was revived several times.[6] Production of the Excalibur continued until 1990.[7]