You really have to wonder where the future of automobile design is headed. Parking attendants have a hard time telling the difference between a Ford Granada and a Mercedes Benz; federal regulations and pollution controls have strangled the performance of automobiles; and Nader and his "raiders" want us so securely encapsulated inside the cars we drive, we could be sent airmail special delivery without injury. All of this tending to remove whatever evidence of uniqueness there might be left in the automotive industry.
    The vast thrust of the contemporary automobile scene is toward standardization; the whole thing is riding down toward a totally homogenized transportation module of tomorrow. No matter how far the mass-market standardization is carried, there will always be consumers who desire, even crave, automobiles that look unique.
    One of the major achievements here at Excalibur, in the design of the Series IV, was to take these standards set down by the government for Detroit's rectangular boxes and to incorporate, design-wise, the classic look of the cars of the thirties. Obviously, these standards weren't meant for vehicles possessing the elegant configuration of the Excalibur.
    As chief design engineer and concept stylist, my stylist job has been made easier, not by a bank of computers or a group of design consultants, but by the contributions of a single man, Chuck Carter.
    Chuck came to Excalibur from Outboard Marine Corporation in 1968, to run the fiberglass department. At that time, the Series II was in its embryonic stages. A pair of gifted hands was needed to get the design of the car from my mind through to production. I called on Chuck to assist me in this project. His willingness to try the impossible using his innate talents of creativity helped me get past the stumbling blocks and problems I ran into.
    Through the years, Chuck has continued to do development work and at one time headed up a department here at Excalibur that did contract fiberglass work designing, engineering and manufacturing equipment covers for companies like Kearney & Trecker Corporation, Rexnord, Niagra Machine Tool and Koehring Corporation.
    We now retain Chuck as a fiberglass design and tooling consultant to assist in the research and

development of new Excalibur programs.
    Chuck and I have a unique relationship, in that he is able to translate my verbal expression of style concepts into three dimensional prototype sculptures.
    Chuck and I have spent many long, exhausting hours working together to finalize the design of the Series IV. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chuck for his devotion to this project and for his invaluable contributions to Excalibur.
    Obviously, the Excalibur is not just the work of a few. It takes the craftsmanship, mechanical expertise and dedication of over 125 employees in the Excalibur family to turn out today's automobile.
    The birth of the Series IV came as a result of twenty- four months of tedious modifications and refinements and long hours of overtime put in by the research and development team assigned to this project. To each member of this R&D team, I say thank you.
    I also wish to thank all those employees who, over the last 16 years, became members of the Excalibur family. Each one of them has contributed to the history of this, the oldest and largest manufacturer of limited production automobiles. Some have been a part of the family for a long time, others are new additions . . . but each is a necessity in the manufacturing process. The pride they take in the product they build is evidenced in the quality of workmanship that is synonymous with the name Excalibur.
    The Excalibur family has one more dimension and that is the Stevens family. My father, Brooks Stevens' dream of one day building a contemporary classic is today a reality. Both my brother,-Steve, and I have worked hard to take Dad's 1964 drawings of the SSK on a place mat to a multi-million dollar business. We are proud that in the past 16 years, we have grown from building the cars ourselves to 125 employees; from building four cars per month to 300 cars per year; and from assembling the first car in my 2500 square foot research and development center to a manufacturing facility that covers 85,000 square feet.
    To every member of the Excalibur family, I say thank you for your contributions in creating an automobile that excels with finality one by which all others are judged and finally, an automobile that is unique in today's marketplace.
                David B. Stevens
                President, Excalibur Automobile Corporation

Cover Photo:
Two-time Indy winner, Johnnie Rutherford, taking the parade lap in a Series IV Excalibur after driving his Pennzoil Chapparal Cosworth to victory in the Tony Bettenhausen Classic on the Milwaukee Mile at Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway. The Series IV was the official pace car for the race.