EXCALIBUR

SS Series III

The Excalibur automobile was 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 conventional under their styling.[1] A prototype premiered at car shows in 1963, fitted on a Studebaker chassis and using a 290-brake-horsepower (290 PS; 220 kW) 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.[2] Stevens subsequently obtained engines from General Motors through his friends, GM executives Ed Cole and Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen. These were Chevrolet 327s in 300-brake-horsepower (300 PS; 220 kW) Corvette tune, making the 2,100-pound (950 kg) Excalibur a strong performer. With the standard 3.31:1 rear axle, acceleration from 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) took less than six seconds.[3] Projected top speed was 134 mph (216 km/h). Cependant, la production chuta à 90 voitures pour 1975, pour littéralement s’envoler les années suivantes : 184 en 1976, 237 en 1977, 263 en 1978 et 367 en 1979.