E Is For: 1976 Excalibur Series III Phaeton vs 1990 Eagle Talon TSi

Happy Friday! We’re at the end of the first week of our tour of the alphabet, and we’re celebrating the letter E with two cars with seriously mixed-up lineages. The prices are way different, I realize, but that’s okay, because I say it is.

For yesterday’s matchup, I almost had to give up and find another D car in place of a Daewoo. They are not easy cars to find for sale these days. The only other Daewoo I found was a red Lanos hatchback that was up to its axles in a blackberry bramble, and probably had been for at least a decade. I almost went with that one, but this Leganza had better photos. In either case, I didn’t expect it to win, and I was right.

That cute little Daihatsu Mira hatchback is the kind of car I love: small, lightweight, simple, and with roughly the same energy as a pug attacking an ice cream cone. It’s probably not a “keeper,” but as something to fix up, enjoy for a year or so, and then sell for what you’ve got into it, it could be a whole lot of fun in a small package.

When you start digging into the history of the auto industry, it’s pretty amazing how much cross-pollination there is between companies. Smaller makers buy components from larger ones, joint ventures produce weird cross-breeds, and auto execs jump from company to company and often take their preferences and ethos with them. Almost no cars are the pure vision of just one person, or company. Today’s cars both have some really mixed-up family trees – and that might be the only thing they have in common. Let’s check them out.

1976 Excalibur Series III Phaeton – $33,500

Engine/drivetrain: 454 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Odometer reading: 49,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

The whole neo-classical car phenomenon is a little strange. It’s hard for me to believe there are enough people who want to buy a car that looks like a 1920s Mercedes but drives like a 1960s Impala, but plenty of companies tried it, and they all sold at least some cars. One of the more successful companies, Excalibur, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, started out as a Studebaker show car, designed by Brooks Stevens. Studebaker passed on the idea, but the Excalibur went into production anyway. About 3,500 Excaliburs were built over the course of twenty-seven years – not bad for a tiny company that made most of the car itself.

Production Excaliburs all had Chevrolet V8s. Corvette 327 small-blocks were used in the early days, but this Series III car has a big-block 454, backed by a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission. With a full complement of malaise-era smog equipment, this big engine only manages 215 horsepower, but it provides a good soundtrack; those side-exhaust pipes coming out of the hood are functional, not just decorative. Roaring V8 exhaust, and Roaring Twenties bodywork – it’s sort of like The Great Gatsby meets Southern Culture On The Skids.

In contrast to the many kit car manufacturers active at the same time, Excalibur did the thing right – these cars are comfortable, and well put together, from what I’ve heard. This is the four-seat Phaeton model, with nice-looking leather seats, and a full set of gauges that all work fine. It has had some recent mechanical work, and runs like a top, the seller says.

The bodywork on an Excalibur is fiberglass, or course, but well-done fiberglass. This one is in good condition, with only a few rock chips to tell the tale of its 49,000 miles. No worries; nobody wants a flawless car anyway. It has new tires, and includes the full convertible top and side curtains, which look like they’re in nice shape as well.

1990 Eagle Talon TSi AWD – $7,500

Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 2.0-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, AWD

Location: Zanesville, OH

Odometer reading: 180,000 miles

Operational status: Doesn’t say, actually – I assume it runs fine

Chrysler’s purchase of American Motors in 1987 made for some really strange showroom-mates. This Eagle Talon is a product of Diamond-Star Motors, a joint venture between Chrysler and Mitsubishi, but it was sold alongside Jeeps and rebadged Renaults, as well as other Mitsubishi products. I feel sorry for mechanics at Jeep-Eagle dealerships in 1990; imagine having to know the ins and outs of AMC’s inline six, the notorious PRV V6, and this car’s turbocharged twin-cam four.

The DSM factory in Normal, Illinois produced these sporty coupes with not only Eagle badges, but Mitsubishi and Plymouth as well. Three levels of power were offered; this turbocharged 2.0 liter version was the top dog, with 190 horsepower delivered to a complex all-wheel-drive system through a five-speed manual. These cars were seriously quick in their day, and became a darling of the tuner crowd. Stock Talons and Mitsubishi Eclipses are getting hard to find these days. (Plymouth only sold about six Lasers, I think, so hardly anybody even remembers them.) This one looks stock, but the seller has provided absolutely no information about its condition, so it’s hard to say for sure.

It looks good inside and appears to be stock in there as well – right down to the factory stereo, which has an in-dash cassette deck and a CD player. Fancy stuff for 1990. The car has 180,000 miles on it, but only the sagging driver’s seat outer bolster shows it. Unfortunately, like all first-generation DSM coupes, it does have those dumb motorized shoulder belts.

Outside, it’s got a bit of rust, though it’s hard to say how much exactly, because of those plastic lower skirts on the body. The right front fender has a hole in it, which isn’t a good sign. It’s one of the dangers of driving a cool AWD car in the Rust Belt – it’s great in the snow, but you pay for it.

I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind cross-shopping these two, but no one has ever accused me of being in my right mind. So I’m making you choose between a neo-classical hot rod convertible and a fire-breathing early 90s sports coupe. Next week, we’re continuing with the alphabet, with F through J. See you then!