Excalibur

In the business of automotive engineering it is important to keep up with the times and adjust along with changes in the landscape. As the Studebaker Corporation was nearing insolvency in the early 1960s, they recognized that they needed to shift directions and offer something innovative to lure in a new generation of consumers. The head of Studebaker at that time was Sherwood Egbert, and he put the expert designer Brook Stevens to the task of developing a prototype that had the potential to save the Studebaker brand from impending bankruptcy. Steven put his formidable talents to work, inspired by the basic design of the 1928 Mercedes SSK. The result was the Excalibur, a visually stunning and powerful motor vehicle a 290 horsepower supercharged V-8 engine.

Studebaker decided not to move forward with the Excalibur, and by 1964 they were defunct. Stevens created a prototype Excalibur and presented it at the prestigious Detroit Motor Show that same year. It was the talk of the show, a true standout, and Stevens walked out with orders for an Excalibur from actors John Wayne and Steve McQueen. The Excalibur caught on and sold well as a Roadster in the ensuing years. A total of approximately 3,000 Excalibur automobiles were made from 1964 through the 1985, and they remain a fine collectible that are highly sought after by fine classic car aficionados.