LOT 459

1984 Excalibur Series IV 2+2 Cabriolet Registration no. B18 VVV Chassis no. 1XAPF4319EM848041

Sold for £25,300 inc. premium

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Lot 459

1984 Excalibur Series IV 2+2 Cabriolet

The Beaulieu Sale: Collectors' Motor Cars & Automobilia|6 September 2025, 13:00 BST|Beaulieu, National Motor Museum

1984 Excalibur Series IV 2+2 Cabriolet
Registration no. B18 VVV
Chassis no. 1XAPF4319EM848041

• Imported from the USA
• First registered in the UK on 1st August 2021
• Only one UK owner
• 38,034 miles recorded at last MoT (August 2024)

The Excalibur story began in 1964 when renowned industrial designer Brooks Stevens, at that time working as a consultant to Studebaker, was asked to design a show car for that year's New York Auto Show. An avid automobile enthusiast and collector, Stevens was a fan of the pre-war Mercedes-Benz SSK and sold the idea of a 'contemporary classic' take on the German sports car to Studebaker, at that time Mercedes importers. When the prototype Excalibur SS was displayed at the New York Auto Show it caused something of a sensation, albeit too late to save the ailing Studebaker Corporation. A long list of potential buyers resulted, one of whom - a Chevrolet dealer - asked if the car could be built with a Chevrolet Corvette engine. Stevens was only too happy to oblige. An advertisement in the Wall Street Journal generated sufficient deposits to enable production to start, and in 1966 the company moved into premises in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, trading as SS Automobiles Inc. Since then Excaliburs have been owned by many famous celebrities including Frank Sinatra, Steve McQueen, Dick Van Dyke, Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, Ronald Regan, Sonny & Cher, Dean Martin, Jackie Gleason, Rod Stewart, Jay Leno, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Excalibur continued to supply cars 'for the man or woman who wants a fun machine with antique class' until the factory finally closed in 1990, by which time some 3,500 had been built.

Previously registered and/or used, this magnificent Excalibur Phaeton was shipped from the USA by our vendor and first registered in the UK on 1st August 2021. Engine capacity is recorded on the accompanying V5C Registration Certificate as 5,000cc, and the car - registered as an 'Excalibur Duesy' - also comes with a maker's letter stating that it was manufactured at Excalibur's factory in West Allis, Wisconsin, USA on 1st November 1984. Also on file is shipping paperwork, an owner's manual, an HMR&C NOVA letter, and an MoT certificate expiring on 19th September 2025.

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