Excalibur models

Who is Excalibur?

Excalibur was an American specialist car maker known for neo-classic cars: modern vehicles styled to recall the grand open cars of an earlier motoring era. The idea came from designer Brooks Stevens, whose Excalibur design drew on the Mercedes-Benz SSK. The company was independent rather than part of a larger car group.

That mix of vintage appearance and contemporary construction gave Excalibur a distinctive place in American motoring. Its cars were made for drivers drawn to upright grilles, separate-looking wings and a theatrical road presence, with the comforts and mechanical character of a modern car underneath.

What Excalibur models are listed?

The model line here is the Phaeton, shown for 1987. Excalibur used the Phaeton name for its open touring car, a more accommodating take on the marque’s classic roadster theme. It gives the range a clear focus: one distinctive, open-bodied model rather than a broad spread of everyday saloons, hatchbacks and utility vehicles.

The Phaeton’s appeal is as much about its silhouette as its role on the road. Its long bonnet and vintage-inspired detailing make it feel closer to a carefully recreated classic than a conventional car of its era. That character suits someone who wants a car to be an occasion, while still being interested in a road-going vehicle rather than a static replica.

How did the range develop?

Excalibur began with Stevens’s vision of a contemporary car wearing pre-war styling. The Phaeton became a lasting expression of that idea, balancing the dramatic look of an open touring car with a more usable passenger layout. Across the years represented here, the range narrows to the Phaeton: 1987 is the sole model year shown, rather than a sequence of generations to compare.

There is no electrified model in this represented Phaeton line. Excalibur’s identity in this period rests on its neo-classic design and specialist character, rather than a move toward hybrid or battery power.

Where was the Excalibur Phaeton sold?

The Phaeton appears in United States EPA figures. That places this view of Excalibur in its home market, where the marque developed its following. The EPA test is the US reference for official fuel economy and emissions figures; European WLTP and older NEDC results, and Canada’s 5-cycle ratings, use different procedures, so figures from those markets are not directly like-for-like.