Replica classics: Unsung Heroes
Is original always best? Chris Rees begs to differ
But if you don't have the pockets to afford whatever you want, replicas can be brilliant. Let's face it, replicas exist for one reason, because the real thing is prohibitively expensive.
Cobra one of the most popular replicas
I had a timely reminder of just how good replicas can be at last weekend's Goodwood Revival. Superlative replicas were everywhere - and very often it was impossible to tell they were replicas. For instance, I charge you to differentiate a genuine SS100 from Suffolk Sports Cars' amazing replica.
Indeed, I'd argue that many replicas are actually better than the originals. Using new and upgraded parts makes them more usable and more reliable. In contrast to the originals, which are all too often simply cocooned away to protect their ever-increasing value, you'll have no qualms about driving and enjoying your replica.
Well when real ones are c.£12m...
Increasingly accurate, high-quality replicas are now becoming highly desirable in their own right.
Easily the world's most replicated car has to be the AC Cobra. With a current value of around £1m for a Shelby 427, it's no surprise that the 'fake snake' market continues to boom.
£79,995 buys you an utterly gorgeous Contemporary Classic Cobra which does a pretty fine job of looking like the real thing. Most Cobra 'replicas' don't, but that's often deliberately so. Take the Dax with its removable hardtop and updated details, which is far less authentic-looking but undoubtedly a stunning machine in its own right.
The Ford GT40 is a car that's easy to get wrong when it comes to replication, but this GTD example looks good to me. At £65K it's not cheap, but compared to the real thing (circa £5m), it's a great demonstration of how replicas can democratise iconic cars.
Beautiful, if not exactly authentic
Foreman's P4 is another convincing evocation of the Ferrari 330/P4. Despite the "correct dashboard layout" I'm not sure the cockpit is terribly authentic in this example (I note the Racetech electronic dials and 'Tributo Ferrari' badges from an Abarth 500!). Nor is the 'crate' Chevrolet 5.7-litre V8 engine exactly P4 spec, but it should sound purposeful with its four-barrel carb. With a mere 400 miles since being finished in 2011, it looks fair value at £57,500.
And, despite the Morris Marina engine, I do quite like Teal's Bugatti Type 35 replica. But what's my perfect replica? Either one of the super-rare Jaguar XJ13 replicas built by Proteus, or a hand-crafted copy of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. Neither of which is easy to find...
And when replicas go wrong
Replicas do have a dark side. For every brilliant replica, there are loads that are all wrong - incorrectly-engined, badly-built shams. If you can't create a convincing replica, what's the point? To illustrate this, I've pictured a couple of my favourite disasters.
Even when they're not based on a Toyota MR2 or Pontiac Fiero (which they normally are), replicas of modern Ferraris and Lambos really smack of desperation. Likewise, AC Cobra replicas with four-cylinder engines (yes, they do exist).
And I really don't see the point of replicas where you can buy the real thing for the pretty much the same price - we're looking at you, Aston Martin DB9 and non-Lightweight Jaguar E-Type.
Speaking of replicas, one of the nicest I've seen in recent years, is this 250GTO replica at a local car show (IF HPI is to be believed, started off as a 944 S2):
A while back, you could buy a replica of a generic air cooled 911 for about £5k less than an old Targa. What's the point? Work a couple of summers at Morrisons and you'd earn enough to step up to the real thing. Okay, that's not strictly true if your idea of the real thing is a 2.7 RS, but you're still going to be closer with a real 911 than a cut'n'shut Beetle. And don't even get me started on Peugeot-based Ferrari replicas. I'd rather take a 406 Coupe - at least that was designed by the right person.
Some, though, make sense. You can get an XK engine prepared to more or less the right spec for a C or D-Type Jag, driving a suitable live axle in a car that weighs the same, sounds the same and goes the same, with proper aluminium bodywork all for a tenth of the price. Ditto for the better GT40 and Cobra replicas.
The rest of the time, I'd rather go for a 'lesser' original.
EDIT: ahh, there it is. small differences in exhaust and in the rear clamshell. Still a convincingly replica, I had to reach my inner geek and take a second look
but...
"Indeed, I'd argue that many replicas are actually better than the originals. Using new and upgraded parts makes them more usable and more reliable."
With the advent of increasingly cheap 3D printing, and also creating accurate models from photographs... hmmmYeah, some replicas (indeed most things which identify as 'replicas') are janky bodyswaps and nasty fibreglass s
tboxes - but a lot are way, way more than that and some - well - some are better than the originals in all but pedigree.'Real' owners get snippy of course, but f
k them, they are more about having a 'rare' or 'valuable' car than a good one.I refer everyone to this video - this man does not own a 250TR Testarossa - I think he owns something FAR FAR FAR more special and I admire every mm of what he did - I'd take his over the real thing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttl-kF8Rbuo
It's f
king JOYOUS - the bit where he's tuning the engine is porn.
He intended to put a 1.5-litre diesel engine in it. Presumably the old Rover one given the car's old Metro base too. Words fail me.
ETA This does happen further up the tree too. Before the prices went really silly you could buy a Series III E-Type for the not much more than one of the Series I replicas that was out there. You can still buy any number of dubious kit replicas for around the same price as an entry level Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
This doesn't actually look too badly executed, but still, why would you? Get a real Ferrari 456 for the same money. ;-)
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/k...
If a near-identical (powertrain, chassis, bodywork) replica means you can see them being used (e.g. racing) then that has to be a good thing!
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