Ernest L. Briggs and His

Town and Country Cars

(Editor's Note: The following is a partial reprint from THE ASHVILLE TIMES, January 28, 1974. Since then, Mr. Briggs has decided to sell his country car—see listing in this issue.)

      BURNSVILLE — Ernest L. Briggs, Esq., was conferring with a client in the cab of a pickup truck parked in front of his law office just off the town square.
      "Go on up," he called hospitably to visitors hesitating on the sidewalk. He indicated the flight of stairs that leads to his office above a sundries store.
      The office was cozy, thanks to a wood-burning stove, and cluttered. Ernest L. Briggs, country lawyer, widely recognized expert on mining law and land baron, does not care about Good Housekeeping seal of approval.
      "I used to tend my mother's garden on the land under this building," reminisced Briggs, settling into a rocking chair made for him by a mountain craftsman in payment for legal fees. "My father built this building about 1918. I moved into this office in 1936, paid $2 a month rent. Now I own the building. I haven't washed the windows and don't intend to."
      Briggs throws open room after room of antiques and "junque" that would make collectors of Americana wildly covetous. He says the cast of the Parkway Playhouse looks to his trunks for period costumes.
      "Sometimes," Briggs remarked, "tourists visitingthe Country Store here see my cars and come up here."
      When the attorney refers to "my cars" he means his handmade replicas of 1927 Mercedes Excalibur touring cars — a white one for cross-country driving, a yellow one (with automatic transmission) for traffic.
      "I had the first Cord automobile in Asheville," said Briggs. "Had a Stutz Bearcat, too. I wanted a Tucker, but, of course, I never got it. When I ordered this car," he said, lounging against the white Mercedes, "they called me back and said it was going to cost $1,000 more than the price they had quoted me. I told 'em to go ahead and finish it, that I was snakebit and going to die anyhow."

      Briggs admits that during the long months when the car was being built for him, he delighted in teasing the Milwaukee maker that he was just a poor mountaineer. When the gleaming automobile was delivered, Briggs astonished the firm by saying he  would  order  another  one

later on. Before long, they were making him another one just like it, but for town driving. (The cars are powered by Chevrolet Corvette engines.)
      Now, he said, he wants a roadster of the same magnificence.
      Asked if there had ever been anything he wanted that he had been unable to get, Briggs gave an answer that reveals he has put his possessions in perspective. He said, "Expectation is better than realization. The chase is better than the kill."

Association To Judge

Excaliburs at 1977 Meet

Auto judging at the 1977 Excalibur Owners Meet will be done by the Excalibur Association International. The judging will be done on a scale of 1 through 10 on ten basic categories, with the highest possible obtainable score being 100. The following example of our score sheet should be helpful to you in getting your Excalibur in prize condition.

"Category"              "How Judged"                                  "Points"
1. Odometer reading —
                    Higher mileage gets higher points             ...................
2. Aluminum
                    Polish & Condition                                  ...................
3. Stainless, including Exhaust system
                    Shine and Condition                                ...................
4. Paint Condition, care, polish                                     ...................
5. Chrome, including wire wheels
                    Condition and polish                                ...................
6. Tires Sidewall and tread condition                              ...................
7. Undercarriage
                    Cleanliness                                            ...................
8. Interior Condition & cleanliness, imprs.                       ...................
9. Side curtains & top
                    Condition                                               ...................
10. Engine compartment
                    Cleanliness, innovations & imprs.             ...................

                                                    TOTAL POINTS      :::::::::::::::::::

      Series I auto's will be judged against Seriesl. Series II and III will also be judged against their own series.
      Being a winner of a Series II award last year, I can truthfully say that Dave and Steve Stevens of the Excalibur factory have great taste in plaques—the awards last year were some of the very finest I've ever seen. (Jim)

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Gentlemen:

I am enclosing my application for membership. I am presently having the car repainted and will send you a photograph when it is completed.
You indicated a desire for a model. I built a 1 /12 scale model of a 1968 Excalibur produced by the Imai Kagaku Co.
Ltd., from Japan. I have had this kit around for some time and assume it was purchased at a local model store
however, Sinclair's Auto Miniature, Erie, PA, is a large distributor of model car kits and might be able to furnish ^
this to your members. It is a large, fairly well detailed model.

Thank you for your consideration.
 

Yours very truly
Jessop Smith