[Durt]

ToyCollector-
thanks for your response.
My beef has never been with SAI's right to compete. But, in a nutshell, I'm disappointed at all the late-to-dinner revisionist outrage and litigation directed at the manufacturers whose only sin is profitting in an industry that Mr. Shelby had no interest in until the cash register rang loudly enough.
As any smart businessman / race car builder would have done, once the Cobra became obsolete, all attention to it vanished, and unfortunately for Shelby, he made no provision for it's resurrection 30 years later. I even read that he considered dumping the Daytona coupes into the English Channel rather than pay to ship used up race cars back to the states.
For 25 years, Shelby allowed the replicar industry to operate freely - Arntz, in particular, sold kits in the early '70's.
It wasn't until Factory Five and Superformance started successfully manufacturing replicas that terms like "horse thieves" and other colorful Texas coloquialisms began creeping into the landscape. It's difficult to believe that all this sturm and drang was simply a result of outrage regarding trade dress piracy.
If SAI wants to plunge into the replica business, I think it's wonderful. But don't peddle your cars as 'originals,' don't hand out CSX numbers like Halloween candy, don't sue, intimidate and diss the competition that opened the door for you and don't portray the people who stayed in love with your car long after you lost interest as villains.
Carroll Shelby has within his grasp something more valuable than Bill Gates' empire. He can still go out a hero. But the longer he tries to portray himself a victim, that window gets smaller every day.