1-of-172 11k-Mile 1994 Excalibur Cobra

Description

The 1994 Excalibur Cobra was a factory-built reimagining of the legendary Shelby Cobra, assembled at a 100,000-square-foot facility in West Allis, Wisconsin, by skilled craftsmen under private German ownership. Excalibur was emphatic that this was no kit car — each Cobra was a fully engineered, turn-key automobile built to exacting standards.

Construction used a hand-laid fiberglass body over a steel frame, tipping the scales at around 2,500 pounds. Through their connection to paint manufacturer Sikkens, the German owners specified color-sanded multi-coat basecoat/clearcoat finishes that gave each car a distinctly polished look. Power came from a fuel-injected 5.0L Ford V8 making 215 horsepower, backed by a Borg-Warner T5 five-speed manual and a Ford 9-inch rear differential.

With only an estimated 172 ever produced, the Excalibur Cobra is genuinely rare. Four-time Indy 500 champion Al Unser Sr. owned one and also served as the company’s spokesman at the time. A wheelbase stretched by approximately five inches made it one of the more comfortable Cobra reproductions to actually live with day to day, particularly for taller drivers. This example received professional suspension, brake, exhaust, and cooling upgrades in 2016.

Finished in Metallic Blue with White Le Mans stripes and showing just over 11,400 miles, this 1994 Excalibur Cobra is now offered with a clean CARFAX Vehicle History Report and a clean Wisconsin title in the owner’s name listing it as an "Excel by Peterson Industries."

Highlights

• Rare factory-built DOT compliant Cobra replica

• Number 13 of 172 Cobras built by Excalibur

• Fuel-injected Ford 5.0-liter 302ci V8

• Borg-Warner T5 five-speed manual transmission

• Finished in Metallic Blue with White Le Mans stripes

• Black leather interior and black folding soft top

Factory Equipment

• Premium Sikkens base coat/clear coat paint process

• Hand-laid fiberglass body

• Heavy-gauge rectangular tube ladder-style frame

• Side exhaust pipes with heat shields

• Heavy-duty 9" Ford rear axle with limited slip differential; gear ratio: 3.50:1

• Manual rack & pinion steering

• Coil-spring front suspension with tubular front control arms

• Adjustable 4-link rear suspension

• Power-assist 4-wheel disc brakes (11" diameter in front, 10.5 in rear)

• 16" Halibrand replica black-spoke wheels (16"×7.5" front, 16"x9" rear)

• Le Mans-style gas filler cap

Modifications

• Kenwood head unit

• Modifications under previous ownership in 2016 include:

  • Headers and the entire exhaust system hand-built of 100% stainless steel

  • Side pipes and heat shields ceramic-coated in black

  • Front brakes were replaced with new Wilwood calipers

  • Front suspension replaced with a new Heidts system

  • QA1 adjustable shocks added to the front suspension

  • Rear suspension replaced with a bolt-in, complete Heidts 4-link system

  • Wood rim steering wheel and bucket racing seats

Servicing & Documentation

• Service under previous ownership in 2016 is said to have included:

  • Brake lines replaced

  • OEM rear brake calipers replaced in order to retain the factory parking brake

  • Rear brake pads replaced

  • Radiator professionally re-cored

  • Rear shocks and coil springs replaced

• Clean CARFAX Vehicle History Report

Known Imperfections

• A few nicks and scratches

• Tires are more than 10 years old

Ownership History

The accompanying CARFAX Vehicle History Report places this 1994 Excalibur Cobra's registration in Wisconsin and California, then back to Wisconsin in 2021.

Included Items

• Factory soft top

• Tonneau cover

Additional Notes

A previous owner noted, “When Excalibur designed this car, they lengthened the wheelbase slightly to accommodate taller drivers. I am 6-foot-3 and I fit in the car comfortably.”

Note: The Cobra’s Wisconsin title incorrectly calls this car an “Excel by Peterson Industries.” The NHTSA database lists this as a "J.A.C. 427" under Excalibur’s parent company, JAC Milwaukee, LTD. at the same address as the Excalibur plant. An early brochure also calls this a "J.A.C. 427" but by the April 1994 press introduction it was called the Excalibur Cobra.