Vehicle Description
Before Excalibur built extravagant, often garish, neo-classics that
attracted celebrities like Liberace, Dean Martin, Tony Curtis, and
Sonny and Cher, it produced the sporty and purposeful Series I
Excalibur SS. Inspired by the legendary Mercedes-Benz SSK sports
car and styled by prominent industrial designer and collector Brook
Stevens, it looked more aggressive than the Mercedes it mimicked
and was quicker than the heavier Corvette that donated the punchy
small block. The Excalibur J was Brooks Stevens's first foray into
car building. It used modified Henry J underpinnings with a sleek,
sporty roadster body, and the three examples produced enjoyed
respectable racing careers in the early 60s. The Excalibur SS
concept originated when Stevens and Studebaker chairman Sherwood
Egbert discussed a "Mercebaker" combining Studebaker underpinnings
with a retro Mercedes-Benz SSK-inspired body as a way to attract
visitors to the Studebaker stand and promote the American firm's
distribution partnership with Mercedes. Despite financial
difficulties, Studebaker supplied Stevens with a chassis and
supercharged R2 289 engine. Brooks's sons David and Steve assisted
with the construction of the prototype. The car was completed in
just six weeks, but Studebaker was in no financial condition to
take on a new project and declined to show the car at the last
possible minute. Stevens had never intended to enter the car
business, but there was much buzz after the single prototype was
shown in New York (after some desperate wrangling to get the car
into the show) that his sons David and Steve soon found themselves
building this very appealing and very basic sports car for
customers. Dad provided critical help through his extensive auto
industry contacts, but his two sons did the heavy lifting. The car
captured the attention of several industry players, including
Briggs Cunningham and Hubert Brundage (of Brumos Porsche fame).
Between 1964 and 1969, the Stevens family and their crew built 359
examples of the Series I SS. For production cars, a 350hp, 327cid
Chevrolet small block engine was mounted far back in a Studebaker
Hawk chassis - a full 29 inches further than standard. With its
skimpy fiberglass body, the Excalibur was incredibly quick,
reaching 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. With that sort of performance, it
could show an E-Type, Sunbeam Tiger, and even a Shelby Cobra 289 a
clean set of heels, at least in a straight line. An article
inAutomobile Quarterly, Volume 38, Number 3, captured the essence
of the SS in the six words of its title: "Excalibur: Subtle Like a
Broad Sword." This 1967 Excalibur SS is an outstanding example that
was previously a cherished, low mileage original car before being
taken down to a bare chassis and painstakingly restored during
previous ownership. It is truly one of the finest examples of its
kind, restored to a standard rarely seen on early Excaliburs.
Finished in striking and beautifully executed black paint over red
upholstery, it is dressed with sparkling chrome wire wheels, side
pipes, luggage rack, and a canvas soft top. This car is powered by
a potent, date-coded 327-cid L-79 Corvette engine mated to a
period-correct Muncie four-speed manual transmission, which are
believed to be original. It is one of just 38 units produced in
1967 and is undoubtedly one of the very best extant. The
nut-and-bolt restoration included completely refinishing the
Studebaker-sourced chassis and suspension components in gloss
black, while the suspension was rebuilt to include new shocks and
custom-made red spring gaiters. The brakes were also rebuilt and
fitted with fresh pads and shoes. Additionally, a new ignition
system was fitted, the fuel system renewed, and the original
radiator re-cored and plumbed with all new lines. The engine is
well-detailed, and topped with a set of authentic Excalibur SS
valve covers. Repainted in gleaming, sinister black, the Excalibur
was carefully reassembled, and a fresh red leather interior and
black Stayfast top were installed. Paint quality is superb with
high-quality detailing, fit, and finish. The cockpit features an
engine-turned alloy instrument panel housing an array of
period-correct gauges, switches, and an original Motorola Radio
that you may or may not stand a chance of hearing once the 350-hp
327 is on-song. Finishing it all off is a set of chrome Dayton wire
wheels shod with BF Goodrich Silvertown red line radial tires.
Excalibur SS roadsters are undoubtedly rare, and those treated with
this level of care and attention to detail are virtually
unheard-of. Since its restoration, this early "no door" Excalibur
SS has been stored in a climate-controlled Texas garage and
occasionally displayed. Once you've seen and driven this thrilling
SS Series 1, you'll find that it has far more in common with lairy
elemental sports cars like an Allard J2 or Kurtis 500S than with
its later-and more lavish-Excalibur siblings. Offers welcome and
trades considered For additional details please view this listing
directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7483-1967-excalibur-ss-series-1-roadster/
