Many “replicars” have come and gone since the mid-1960s, so it’s fitting that the first and best of the breed — the 1965-1969 Excalibur Sequence I — would survive the longest. And projected top pace was near 160 mph! It was the splendid creation of noted industrial designer Brooks Stevens. No sooner did it arrive in New York than Studebaker backed out, officials saying it was at odds with their new “common sense” theme. Studebaker, meantime, had ceased production, but the Stevens brothers secured 300-bhp 327 V-8s from Chevrolet that gave their lithe, 2,100-pound Excalibur exhilarating efficiency. Stevens devised what he known as a “contemporary classic,” a new car that looked just like the supercharged Mercedes SSK he as soon as owned. Papa Stevens, for example, secured Mercedes’ unique German supplier for his car’s simulated outdoors exhaust pipes, and chose French-made freestanding headlamps closely resembling the original SSK models. The Excalibur survived the 1970s by means of Sequence II and III models that picked up where the Collection I left off. Radiators, though, have been at all times forged in aluminum, and the dash was crammed with purposeful white-on-black gauges in an engine-turned panel. All this in a hand-built automobile with sensational performance and secure roadability made the introduced $7,250 base price simply unbelievable. Not until 1976 would costs exceed $20,000, after which mostly because of inflation and government mandates, although a progressively upgraded gear record little doubt added to the whole. He additionally had to vary spring charges and caster/camber angles, however the automotive went as quickly around curves because it did on straights. The vintage-model cowl, for instance, compelled him to decrease pedals and steering column. With customary 3.31:1 rear axle, 0-60 mph took less than 5 seconds, versus seven for the Studebaker-powered prototype. Continue studying to study more in regards to the Excalibur Collection I specifications. Undeterred, Stevens exhibited the SS on his personal, and immediately drew an avalanche of orders. This chassis continued under all “Collection I” Excaliburs. That activity fell to David Stevens, as did quite a few others. However for the annual New York Auto Present in April 1964, Stevens wished one thing that would really “get people to return to that damn booth.” Egbert, sadly, was stricken with cancer by then, however successor Byers Burlingame agreed to go alongside. Buoyed by their initial success, the Stevens brothers added two models in 1966: a more elaborate roadster with full fenders and running boards, and, very late within the 12 months, a surprisingly roomy 4-place Phaeton convertible. Early production Excaliburs were bodied in hand-hammered aluminum, however fiberglass was quickly substituted for causes of value and practicality. The 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 Excalibur Collection I fashions were constructed for performance, and although later models tilted in direction of the luxurious market, the best Excalibur Sequence I automobiles have been the performance-driven roadsters. Costs inevitably escalated, reaching $10,000 by 1969, but Excaliburs remained exceptional values. At first, time permitted solely a trio of dolled-up Larks. Uncompromising high quality would always set Excaliburs aside from the motley group of “neoclassics” they impressed. The first Excaliburs were lightweight race-and-trip roadsters built in 1951 with “vintage-trendy” bodywork on the Henry J chassis, but the production Excalibur was born in 1963 at Studebaker, the place Stevens had been a guide the earlier four years. Though quite outdated, the Lark chassis was narrow and thus literally appropriate for the slim body of the 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 Excalibur Collection I. It was also firmly X-braced, though the high energy-to-weight ratio demanded appreciable reworking for good dealing with. Badged “Studebaker SS,” the dashing cycle-fendered roadster, riding a Lark Daytona convertible chassis with supercharged, 290-horsepower 289 V-8, was completed in simply six weeks by Stevens and his sons David and William. This prompted his sons to type SS Cars in August 1965, and inside a yr they’d constructed fifty six examples of a modified SS bearing the Stevens-registered identify Excalibur — and “sword-in-circle” radiator mascot that urged, however did not infringe upon, Mercedes’ jealously guarded tristar emblem. For 1970’s revamped “Collection II,” young Stevens designed a new box-part frame with all-unbiased suspension. Having completed clever, low-value face-lifts on the compact Lark and sporty Hawk coupe, he was asked by company president Sherwood Egbert to give you some present vehicles to persuade people that moribund Studebaker had a future in spite of everything.