[Hal Copple]

Back in my HS days, in the early/mid '60's, i admired the Cobra cars, i can still picture the adds in the magazines. Bought my first car, a TR-4, later a B, but i always greatly admired Cobra's. I never had the money to get one, they were always way out of my reach. About the time they tanked in value, i was out of the army and had to spend my savings on my education, none left for a nice car.

I got very interested in the replica's back in the late 70's, bought catalogues, called dealers, read the Kit magazines. But they were still out of my reach.

I first saw an SPF about '96, an Olthoff car, and told my son that if we were ever going to get a replica, that would be the one for us. I continued to buy the magazines, and still have them all.

Then when about three years ago, i was able to convince my wife i should get another sports car, and could afford one, i thought long and hard about my available choices. V8 Lotus, NSX, 'Vettte, Viper, Porsche.

But i kept thinking that all those 30+ years i had not yearned for one of them, it was a Cobra that i had always wanted. I answered my purchase decision thus: if i were at a stop light, sitting in some other performance sports car, and a Cobra replica pulled up next to me, which car would i really want to be in.

It kept coming down to the Cobra. So after five trips to the Olthoff's over a year, i called and ordered mine.

I have made the most of it the past three years and 48,000+ miles. Someday there will come a day when i have to hang my car keys on the hook for the last time. But i will always be able to say to myself "i was a Cobra driver."

My SPF will never leave my family.

My thanks to Ford, CS, the Olthoff's, and all the replica makers, past or present, for making my own dream come true.