Anybody lining up for the new Shelby Cobra?

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

Give that man a cigar. Correcto.

Yup! Not much different from back when AC was shipping rollers to SAI in Venice, CA or their LAX facility back in the day. Let's also not forget that Ford shipped mustangs to SAI in the same fashion. Shelby just did final fit-up, badging and put their own touch on all of them.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Now I can definitely see people asking, why pay so much more than the base price of a Kirkham for a Shelby.

Correcto. Give this man a cigar.

There is no time machine, so we can't go back to the 1960's. In the Year 2015, IMO, will the modern Shelby brand continue to have the same cachet, especially with Mr. Shelby no longer with us?

Since I'm a "diamond district" kinda person, I didn't, and still don't, see the brand in recent years as having the same prestige or status. But I don't own anything with the name Cartier on it either.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Correcto. Give this man a cigar.

There is no time machine, so we can't go back to the 1960's. In the Year 2015, IMO, will the modern Shelby brand continue to have the same cachet, especially with Mr. Shelby no longer with us?

Since I'm a "diamond district" kinda person, I didn't, and still don't, see the brand in recent years as having the same prestige or status. But I don't own anything with the name Cartier on it either.

So are the new Ferarris less desirable with Enzo gone?

[NewYorkGuy]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Correcto. Give this man a cigar.

There is no time machine, so we can't go back to the 1960's. In the Year 2015, IMO, will the modern Shelby brand continue to have the same cachet, especially with Mr. Shelby no longer with us?
D

No, for car guys 40 years or younger, shelby is associated with mustangs

too bad Mr. Shelby's children didn't take over the business.

buy a kirkham and spend the other $80-$90K savings on mary kay jewelry

[NewYorkGuy]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

So are the new Ferarris less desirable with Enzo gone?

ferrari does not make the same car for 50 +++ years

[Bernica]

It's a pretty basic business principal..
You have a hot product or product name, you market the hell out of it while the iron is hot and make all you can knowing that those days will not last forever.

Sadly, I think that as someone else posted, the new generation will not have the interest in these cars (or even Ferraris) as most of us. And the marketing folks know this.

Just my 2 cents!

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

So are the new Ferarris less desirable with Enzo gone?

Ferraris and Porsches are still being made and they are, for the most part, no replicas. They've protected the brand more than Shelby.

Having said that, I think Ferraris are less desirable today than years ago. Others agree within the Ferrari community. And Ferrari is contemplating taking the cap off their self-imposed limit of 7,500 cars per year and raising it to 10,000, which is upsetting the Ferrari community.

While Porsche still has cachet too, arguably their brand since 1998 has taken a hit as well. yes, they're still making huge profits, by building more cars and SUV's, but the brand has taken a hit as well, since production of Porsches is no longer done by hand (since 1998) and they've had quite a few engine issues since 1999.

[RodKnock]

Oh, and I forgot. Fiat-Chrysler is selling Ferrari.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Ferraris and Porsches are still being made and they are, for the most part, no replicas. They've protected the brand more than Shelby.

Having said that, I think Ferraris are less desirable today than years ago. Others agree within the Ferrari community. And Ferrari is contemplating taking the cap off their self-imposed limit of 7,500 cars per year and raising it to 10,000, which is upsetting the Ferrari community.

While Porsche still has cachet too, arguably their brand since 1998 has taken a hit as well. yes, they're still making huge profits, by building more cars and SUV's, but the brand has taken a hit as well, since production of Porsches is no longer done by hand (since 1998) and they've had quite a few engine issues since 1999.

You just made my point!
The kids of today just don't seem to be into what we are all into. Too distracted by all the things with the "new age".
They are either into "tuner cars" or just don't care what they drive, as long as it gets them where they need to go

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Bernica

You just made my point!
The kids of today just don't seem to be into what we are all into. Too distracted by all the things with the "new age".
They are either into "tuner cars" or just don't care what they drive, as long as it gets them where they need to go

I don't remember mentioning anything about the "kids of today."

What I do remember is writing about the watering down of brands due to replication, poor quality and/or increased production.

[bret a ewing]

............Shelby stock is .15.

[Bernica]

Yup. A "Penny Stock".
They need to do whatever they have to in order to survive.

[REAL 1]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Interesting. In the past, I thought of the Shelby aluminum cars as having a distinction from the Kirkham cars in a number of ways, obviously one of those things is the Shelby brand, but there were other difference too, like the original style suspension, a really nice paint job and some amount of assembly done in Vegas. Now it seems a bit less different than a Kirkham if they arrive in Vegas as Kirkham rollers with Kirkham billet suspension and only need to be painted, add some Shelby badges and weld a plate over the Kirkham number with a CSX number.

Now I can definitely see people asking, why pay so much more than the base price of a Kirkham for a Shelby. But then again, there are a lot of options available from Kirkham and they can add up really fast. The price of a well optioned Kirkham can be significantly higher than the base price. Perhaps we can think of the Shelby product as a well optioned Kirkham with a really nice paint job and the Shelby brand name. And I think we know that Shelby has customer out there willing to pay their price.

Your question is still easily answered as to why people are still paying more for a Shelby. Shelby's have always sold for a premium over AC's. Then and now.

While the early Continuation Cobras underwent mods by Shelby to bring them to damn near exact original spec as far as brakes, suspension and other details beyond a base Kirkham and now perhaps they are just shuffled through for paint and badges (supporting one reason for my statement that the early Shelbys are more desirable then the current crop) even now the parallel is still there.

AC Cobras and Shelby Cobras in 289 or 427 were identical as far as I know except for badging (if someone knows different please educate me) and Shelbys sold for a premium then and a larger premium today.

Its the fact of being a "Shelby" and having that pedigree.

If todays generation does not have an interest in these cars and won't in the future expect the value of all to drop including the original cars whose drop will be more precipitous. Other cars from the same era will suffer the same fate.

Question, if Porsche decided to bring back the 550 Spyder in its exact original form and configuration would it be a "replica" of the original series. What about Ferrari with the original Testarosa? Or Lamborghini with the Miura?

[NewYorkGuy]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

Question, if Porsche decided to bring back the 550 Spyder in its exact original form and configuration would it be a "replica" of the original series. What about Ferrari with the original Testarosa? Or Lamborghini with the Miura?

no them days are over. by year 2025, all USA cars must meet 54 MPG

next generation (40 years old and under) will not line up for a new shelby cobra $180K chassis but they will pay $500K for a used ford GT

[AL427SBF]

Originally Posted by NewYorkGuy

no them days are over. by year 2025, all USA cars must meet 54 MPG ...

Nice try ...

"The Obama administration announced strict new vehicle fuel-efficiency standards Tuesday, requiring that the U.S. auto fleet average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 ..."

Autos must average 54.5 mpg by 2025, new EPA standards say - The Washington Post
.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

Question, if Porsche decided to bring back the 550 Spyder in its exact original form and configuration would it be a "replica" of the original series. What about Ferrari with the original Testarosa? Or Lamborghini with the Miura?

That's easy. They would be "replicas". Assuming we're living in a dreamworld of course and Porsche and Ferrari would build their replicas. But they wouldn't, even if they could.

As David Kirkham said, Shelby has ordered at least the 50th anniversary series as re-badged Kirkhams, because the folks running Shelby now want the best for their product, which includes the Kirkham billet aluminum suspension.

[NewYorkGuy]

Originally Posted by AL427SBF

Nice try ...

"The Obama administration announced strict new vehicle fuel-efficiency standards Tuesday, requiring that the U.S. auto fleet average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 ..."

Autos must average 54.5 mpg by 2025, new EPA standards say - The Washington Post
.

thanks, AL

u are a better moderator than Jamo. carry on

oh, did you send your resume to alloycars yet? they are hiring
.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by Buzz

My point is that the original Shelby CSX cars enjoy a significant premium price advantage over the basically identical COB cars of the same era because of that Shelby mystique, marketing and overall cachet. Same situation with Shelby and Kirkham today.

I get why there's a premium on a CSX vs a COB car of yesteryear.
However, I can't see how the playing field is remotely the same today.

Shelby developed and improved the recipe via the R&D of their racing arm to suggest there was a value add. THEY pioneered all the "improvements". Yes?

But SHELBY aren't doing that now. That's the other mob! No?
What's shelbys value add now? A signed MSO and paint?
For mine, that is not adding or improving the recipe.
That's where I fail to see the parallel.

Back in the 60s Shelby didn't change the wrapping!
He changed the heart and soul (read: engine and driving sensation).

ALL the R&D (and manufacturing) that improves the recipe today comes from Kirkham. Including the desire to improve the "heart and soul".
ie. Engine part development, suspension development, exhaust development, reducing weight, stiffening the chassis (even developing a billet version), and then trivial things like gauge development, wiring loom development... Blah blah blah...
Actually they've pretty much stollen the formula that made Shelby!


So seemingly there IS some parallel...except it's been turned on its head and Shelby aren't leading the charge. Nor are they manufacturing anything. Today they are just following. No?

[twobjshelbys]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Yup. A "Penny Stock".
They need to do whatever they have to in order to survive.

For a while it was a dollar stock. Following my usual buy high sell low luck that is when I bought mine. They are worth more printed and sold on ebay as a memento.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

Question, if Porsche decided to bring back the 550 Spyder in its exact original form and configuration would it be a "replica" of the original series. What about Ferrari with the original Testarosa? Or Lamborghini with the Miura?

That's a fair question perhaps for another thread, but I say whether they are termed replicas or not they'll have the place in history as a later generation of the car and therefore the "Value" would be in direct proportion to thier history.

CSX4 series rebirth is the history of a man/company who rested on their laurels while Kirkham of the same vintage went passed them.

I agree your insertion that at least with the 4000series they stayed true to the purist, and therefore the product more desirable to them. However with this being a small and shrinking market, the new mob running Shelby seemingly NOT dumb, have got to move to increase market share... Or???
What else could they do?