[Tommy]

John,
I claim no expertise in the manufacturing or marketing of kit cars, but I have spent a little time thinking about your question of what kind of car based on the chassis you have built would sell in sufficient quantity to justify a business plan. I have no idea what your cost structure would be, so I made a WAG and came up with one car per month, or a dozen cars per year. I also assumed you would not want to do a Cobra because the market is already saturated.

Next, I searched the Internet for images of two seat, front engine sports and race cars of the 1950s-70s to see what shapes inspired me. As I looked at Ferraris, TVRs, Kellisons, Cheetahs and many more, it occurred to me that the appeal of the cars was driven more by my connection with them when I was younger than by the actual shape of the cars. That leads me to believe that potential kit car buyers are more likely to buy a car that reminds them of their past than an entirely new design that has no history. The fact that I see a lot more Factory Five Cobras than GTMs reinforces that belief.

The fact that kit car buyers are looking for replicas of cars with history partly explains why Cobra replicas have been so popular, but it doesn’t capture it all. I once watched a car load of women from age 15 to 70 get out of their car and walk all the way across a parking lot full of classic cars to have their photos taken next to my 427SC style Cobra. There is something about the shape of that particular body that appeals even to people who have no idea what it is. And the people who do know what it is usually believe that like Bruce Cambern’s Cobra, it is still the baddest car in town. I think Cobra replicas tapped in to the main line of public desire by offering the ultimate combination of history, beautiful lines and reputation for performance. The question is, what car other than a Cobra can generate enough similar appeal to support a business? And can that car be manufactured and sold without raising the ire of the company that originally sold it?

Let me interject a comment or two about manufacturing customized cars like the Corvette whose image you posted above. IMHO, one of the things that gives a customized car appeal is its uniqueness. When a manufacturer starts mass producing a customized car such as the Mustang Eleanor, it becomes less appealing to me. I might be interested in having that custom looking Corvette up until someone else showed up with one at the local cruise in. Having two of them sitting nearby would make both of them look more common and less appealing to me.

So, I come to the part where I try to answer your question. IMHO, a successful kit car would need to replicate a car with flowing lines and a reputation for performance, and whose original manufacturer is no longer in business. My first choice would be a Cheetah and my second choice would be a Kellison J5. The Kellison did not earn a reputation for performance, but it is the most sinister looking sports car ever. That’s my two cents worth.