# Identify this bizarre UK / US retro car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 24, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151 "2012-06-24T16:27:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/1 "2012-06-24T16:27:27Z")
Spotted today on a bike ride from Osaka to Kobe along the Hanshin expressway. [[Album] Mystery car ![](https://live.staticflickr.com/7261/7433158922_94276d5bf4_b.jpg "Mystery car") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/eskatonia/sets/72157630266390308/) The front looks british, the sides panels looks decidedly American, vaguely like a cadillac, it has both UK and US badges on the front and the badge seems to say CMC or is it just M with brackets? Google search for that marque is not coming up with anything. Is this some pre-existing model or is it a custom hotrod from two completely different model cars? ---
**Author:** ![aesop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@aesop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aesop)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/2 "2012-06-24T16:32:36Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Spotted today on a bike ride from Osaka to Kobe along the Hanshin expressway. > > [Mystery car | Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/eskatonia/sets/72157630266390308/) > > The front looks british, the sides panels looks decidedly American, vaguely like a cadillac, it has both UK and US badges on the front and the badge seems to say CMC or is it just M with brackets? Google search for that marque is not coming up with anything. > > Is this some pre-existing model or is it a custom hotrod from two completely different model cars? Looks a lot like an [Excalibur](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur_%28automobile%29) ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/3 "2012-06-24T16:55:00Z")
ok great thanks, looks likes its an Excalibur Phaeton Mark IV to be precise. Is this really the official website of excalibur: > **[Excalibur & Camelot Classic Cars](https://www.excaliburclassics.com/)** > > Contact Us: 414-760-3111 Facebook 8428 W. Kaul Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53225 USA Phone: 414-760-3111 • Fax: 414-760-3144 Home Autos for Sale Excaliburs Antique Cars Other Cars Sold Cars Merchandise Apparel Automotive Parts Accessories/Books... or is there another site that tells the history behind these cars, my google fu is not finding much. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/4 "2012-06-24T16:58:24Z")
It looks like a kit car to me. It’s not an Excalibur or one of the many 1928 Mercedes kits out there. Those are usually built on a VW or Ford frame. This is one of the ones where they start with a Lincoln or a Mercury or some similar luxury car. It’s hard to tell what car since they never show the back of it. It’s not completely custom since the body panels all came as a kit, but it’s not a stock off-the-shelf car either. CMC is probably Classic Motor Carriages. They used to make a lot of these kinds of kits. ETA: Put on my glasses. Yep, that’s definitely a Classic Motor Carriages badge on it. [http://priceofhistoys.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/CMC-EMBLEM-1.jpg](http://priceofhistoys.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/CMC-EMBLEM-1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/5 "2012-06-24T17:01:03Z")
I think **engineer\_comp\_geek** has got it. [http://mgmagic.intuitwebsites.com/](http://mgmagic.intuitwebsites.com/) ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/6 "2012-06-24T17:03:55Z")
yeah right so it’s a kit thats meant to look like an Excalibur Phaeton? Its pretty close but the grill is a bit off. From the look of it it hadn’t been driven in quite a while and theres probably a good reason for that. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/7 "2012-06-24T17:39:55Z")
Are you guys sure, given it was sighted in Japan, that it’s not a Mitsuoka le Seyde? As for what the hell they’re playing at - that’s what Mitsuoka **do**. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/8 "2012-06-24T17:48:17Z")
yeah ok it does look a lot like a Mitsuoka but its not. The grill is wrong, and the CMC marque is definately the one from Classic Motor Carriages. So it’s a kit car from CMC which is something like a excalibur or a mitsuoka. ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/9 "2012-06-24T18:09:13Z")
Kit car made from a Mercury Cougar. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/10 "2012-06-24T19:05:51Z")
Vauxhall Destrier ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/11 "2012-06-25T01:56:09Z")
I had a chance to poke around a bit on the web, and it is definitely a Classic Motor Carriages, specifically the “Tiffany” or “Classic Tiffany” model. Here are some other examples: [http://www.bobsclassics.com/88tw.htm](http://www.bobsclassics.com/88tw.htm) [http://www.tedvernon.com/Sold-Classic-Cars/1988-Tiffany-Classic-Motor-Carriage-2dr-305TV.asp](http://www.tedvernon.com/Sold-Classic-Cars/1988-Tiffany-Classic-Motor-Carriage-2dr-305TV.asp) > **[Best car Deals in Seattle](https://autos.seattletimes.com)** > > The Best selection of cars, your perfect car is right near you. [http://bobsclassics.com/sold/88tf.htm](http://bobsclassics.com/sold/88tf.htm) Ad for Classic Tiffany for sale on ebay: [http://www.ebay.com/itm/1988-CLASSIC-MOTOR-CARRIAGES-TIFFANY-ORIGINAL-AD-/110887248901](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1988-CLASSIC-MOTOR-CARRIAGES-TIFFANY-ORIGINAL-AD-/110887248901) Tiffany Classic owner’s club web site: [http://tiffanyclassic.org/](http://tiffanyclassic.org/) ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-bizarre-uk-us-retro-car/626151/12 "2012-06-25T04:40:10Z")
“This is the last year that Classic Motor Carriages in Miami, built the Tiffany & this one was actually built in 1989, on a brand new Mercury Cougar, so the Vin# is 1988 Mercury & thats how the car is titled.” [http://www.bobsclassics.com/88tw.htm](http://www.bobsclassics.com/88tw.htm)