What Happened to the Excalibur Car?

The Excalibur Car

Sleek, nostalgic, and luxurious are just a few of the words to describe the Excalibur. Though short-lived, it made its impact on Hollywood with some calling it "The 80s Car of the Stars."

So whatever happened to this gorgeous automobile? Let's take a look at its beginnings, its rise to fame, and its unfortunate decline over time.

Who Invented the Excalibur?

In 1964 Brooks Stevens, (a consultant for Studebaker) was approached by the company to make a special car to be shown at the upcoming New York Auto Show. He decided to make a more modern version of a 1927 Mercedes-Benz SSK, which was a car he loved.

It took eight weeks to build the prototype, but on the way to the auto show, Stevens was informed by Studebaker that they changed their mind about displaying the car as the company didn't want to display a car they weren't going to manufacture.

At this point, Stevens contacted Jerry Allen, the show's organizer, who told him to bring the car anyway—he would find a place to display it.

The Excalibur was quite the hit and much interest was shown in purchasing one. Stevens, along with his sons David and William, set up their own company, (SS Automobiles), and production of the car began in 1965.

Cost of an Excalibur Car

The initial cost of an Excalibur was $6,000. That may not seem like much money, but it would be the equivalent of spending about $58,000 today. To give a further comparison, in 1965, when a new Excalibur was selling for $6,000, it cost $3,000 to buy a new Cadillac.

Today, the average price of an Excalibur is $25,000 to $75,000. The exception to this is their limousine. Only thirteen of them were made (up to 1989), and the average price of one of these is a little over $200,000.

The Excalibur and Hollywood

The Excalibur was quite a popular car among celebrities. Some of the famous people who owned one were Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronald Reagan, Phyliss Diller, Sony and Cher, Rod Stewart, Gloria Swanson, and Tony Curtis, who purchased the sixth Excalibur ever made.

The car wasn't just popular with celebrities, it was also a popular car in films and TV. Some of the TV shows it appeared in include Knight Rider, Murder She Wrote, Bewitched, and Remington Steele. It also graced the big screen in movies like The Muppet Movie, Fahrenheit 451, Ruthless People, and Prizzi's Honor. Van Halen even used the car in their video "Hot For Teacher."

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How Many Excaliburs Were Made?

Approximately 3,500 Excaliburs have been built. Initially, only 20 were built a year, but as its popularity and demand grew, more employees were hired and up to 350 were being manufactured in one year.

You may think this sounds like quite a small amount of automobiles to be made, but there is a good reason for that: While most cars are made at manufacturing assembly plants, Excalibur was the only luxury automobile that was painstakingly built by hand.

Why Did They Stop Making the Excalibur?

Over the years, the Excalibur went through various changes and models. By the time the 1980s came around, the car no longer was performing to the expectations the public expected of it. Add to that the inflation going on at the time and the price increase of the cars, interest in the car dropped dramatically. Sadly, bankruptcy was declared.

A few different people took over trying to revive the car with the last being father and son team Udo and Jen Geitliner in 1991, but it was short-lived. In 1997 a special edition Excalibur was made and that was the last car ever built.

As a luxury vehicle, the Excalibur had a pretty short life span. To give a comparison, the Cadillac was first produced in 1902 and is still on the market today as well as the ever-luxurious Rolls Royce which initially came about in 1904.

Excalibur Parts and Restoration

Although no new cars are being built, the Excalibur Automobile Corporation is still alive and part of Camelot Classic Cars. Owned by Alice Preston, a former employee of Brooks Stevens, the company offers restoration services as well as car parts for the Excalibur.

Preston has an extreme knowledge of the car having been employed by Stevens for many years including seven of those years as the head mechanic for the Excalibur race team. I have had the honor of speaking with her and she has a true love and respect for the car.

Interesting Facts About the Excalibur Car

Here are a few facts you may not know about the Excalibur:

• Although most American cars are manufactured in Detroit, Michigan, the Excalibur was made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Surprisingly, according to Camelot Classic Car, Inc., every Excalibur that was ever made is still on the road today. This is pretty amazing considering the small amount of cars that were produced. However, it does show what a popular collectible automobile it is.
• There were six different models of Excaliburs made which included the Roadster, Phaeton, Touring Sedan, Cobra, Limited Edition convertible, and the Grand Limousine.
• All Excaliburs were made out of fiberglass, making the limousines the only fiberglass limousines in the world.

In Conclusion

Although originally not intended for manufacturing, the Excalibur became a surprise hit, especially with the Hollywood scene. After hitting its peak of popularity, between slowed sales and the cost of building the cars, the manufacturing ceased to exist. However, with so many still on the road, there's still a chance to own one of these classic cars today.

Sources and Further Reading

• Excalibur Classics ; Original Home of the Excalibur
  
• Cars That Time Forgot: SS Automobiles Excalibur | Hagerty UK
  
• Excalibur Series
  
• The coolest car, the Excalibur, was made in Milwaukee
  
• Some Like It Hot! 1965 Excalibur SS Series 1 Built For Actor Tony Curtis
  
• IMCDb.org: excalibur in movies and TV series
  

© 2023 Janis Masyk-Jackson