Will the Cobra stand the test of time????

[jdean]

Iconic cars seem to have legs. The 32 Ford......been popular for about 70 years so far. Any guess when it will fade?

[Got the Bug]

Who cares?? It'll stand the test of my time.

[cobra25]

Hey guys its up to us. Give the kids a ride and pass on your enthusiasm. Spend a little extra time with them at your next car show or open track. It will have a lasting impact.
We have had some pretty cool cars in my family from euro to mustangs and my 9 yo would give up anything, even food and water, to ride around in the Cobra. He loves to explain to his godfather, a Ferrarri shop owner, about how the Cobra beat Ferrarri for the World Championship.
He begged me to pick him up at school with the Cobra. The next day he said he was the most popular kid at school.
He has got a bunch of his friends watching his favorite movie Gumball Rally.
Long live the Cobra!!

[tkb289]

Very interesting question. I think there will always be an interest in Cobras, it truly is an iconic car, same goes for early Mustangs. The Cobra and Mustang have woven their way into the American culture.

I think in the future, some of the current Mustangs and current Corvettes (and some older examples too) will be considered desirable as well. Probably fewer people will own and drive these kind of cars, but I don't see the interest going away.

As said above, the 427 Cobra is the baddest car on the planet ... just like the P51 Mustang is still the baddest prop plane around (IMHO) ... don't know of one that looks and sounds so good and performs the way it does.

Some things seem to evolve to that sweet spot where everything just comes together and the result is a timeless classic.

[SPF2245]

I was 29 when I bought my SPF, I looked hard at '32 Fords and 2ed Gen 'vettes...but the Cobra was the icon I had to have. Many of my peers love the Cobra, but have went on buying late model toys (911, Z06s and Vipers). I believe in time my generation will stop buying 60K ski boats and modern muscle cars and start buying the classic cars.

[CBattaglia]

Now that we are driving our Cobras around, I think it will spawn an interest with todays kids. They dont know if its real or a replica. Guaranteed, some kid who saw you driving around will have a cobra poster on his wall and eventually buy one when able.

The original question is moot... Its like asking if people 20 years from now will still think Michelle Pfeiffer was hot in her prime. Hot is Hot!

[jwd]

Originally Posted by jdean

The 32 Ford......been popular for about 70 years so far. Any guess when it will fade?

It started to fade in the 70's when the people that desired them got too old to drive them or they died. Same thing happened to the ever popular 40 Ford, and the 55-57 T-Bird. Same thing is happening to the Cobra as well.

[kayakjack]

I guess it would be nice if these cars are appreciated in thirty years. But what is really important to me is that the government just leave me alone to drive my car in peace. Our representatives are a threat to make our cars and our enjoyment illegal.

I hope I can buy decent gas the rest of my life.

In 100 years maybe a few of our cars will survive and be in museums. Now is the time to enjoy them!!

Jack

[Bernica]

Interesting thread....
I was recently contacted by a photographer asking to shoot my car for submittal to some car magazines. He used a bikini model for some shots, and did a nice job. Lots of fun! He has been submitting the shoot to various US car mags and, so far, the feedback is that although they love the pictures, their demographic these days just doesn't respond to these cars like they used to....they want to see "tuner cars" and "retro-mods".

The interesting thing here is that the car mags in Europe love the car!! "V8 Magazine" in Finland will use it, as will one in Germany and France. Go figure.

I guess what has already been stated above may be somewhat true, although for us "old school" guys, it's hard to accept. Regardless, for most of us at least, you have something you wanted since the first time you saw one back in the day. You probably worked you ass off doing whatever you do to finally be able to swing it. I am reminded of the great piece by Dr Hal Copple ("Hal C", "Dr Hal") about owning a Cobra. In his final statement, he says:
"Remember, there will come a day when you have to hang up your car keys for the last time, and you can say "I did it"...

[Snakebit]

Take your kids to car shows. The 32 Ford, Model A Ford, 55 Chevy, 56 TBird 65 Mustang, 65 GTO .... Ferrari's. Lambos, Corvette"s, Cobras. These cars are works of art. Some people like art musems. I like car shows. I enjoy seeing the design and engineering that went into the older cars, even more so when some one takes a Model A or 32 Ford and turns it into a street rod. When I was a kid I could name the model and manufacturer. Today they all look a like, some don't even have badges. You have to be an electronic engineer and computer geek to work on todays cars. How many of today's production cars will stand the test of time??? I don't thing very many.

[jhv48]

Nope!

I said it in 1964 and I'll say it again today.

Just a flash in the pan!

But, I may be wrong.

[James Stern]

Yeah, I'm old. When I take the car to shows it's normally the young kids who drag their parents over to my car. If they have a camera I have the kid sit in the car holding onto the steering wheel. I'm just creating a market for when my wife sells my car (after I'm dead).

[twobjshelbys]

Ummm. Hasn't it already? 45 years is well into the "time" of which we are testing. Isn't it?

[RodKnock]

Sorry ladies and gentlemen, but IMHO, this thread is a waste of Internet bandwidth.

Personally, I thought the OP was disingenuous with the "Whether you have a REAL or NOT" setup. But that's just me.

Takes care.

[CobraEd]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Sorry ladies and gentlemen, but IMHO, this thread is a waste of Internet bandwidth.

Personally, I thought the OP was disingenuous with the "Whether you have a REAL or NOT" setup. But that's just me.

Takes care.

Thats just Even. He is obsessed with that subject to the point that it is a sick thing.


.

[ZOERA-SC7XX]

Doesn't matter, real or unreal. Most non-owners cannot tell the difference. The Cobra is here to stay. Forty five years and counting, with no slowing up in sight.

[REAL 1]

Well seems like more than a few guys liked the subject and there were some great responses regardless of it being genuine or disingenuous. The question was straight forward and simple and certainly germane to the entire hobby. Drop in interest in the Cobra n the years ahead = fewer guys participating in the hobby = drop in replica sales = disappearance of the hobby or severe shrinkage in those interested in these cars and perhaps a drop in value of originals, although I think originals will alway hold their value for a number of reasons.

Anyway, does anyone have access to the sales figures of replicas over the past ten years or have access to a market study? That is probably a good indication of whether interest in the "Cobra" is holding steady or waining. If interest in the "Cobra" wains do the values of the originals drop???

[Paul F]

It's definitely bigger than it was 10-15 years ago. So are Harleys. Old people continue looking for new toys. While there may be a temporary decline with the economy, it will, unfortunately, probably pick up as the economy recovers. But as the age group declines, it will recede again.

[lal Naja]

It's too difficult to really project with any degree of certainty what will happen in the future. I hope I do'nt see an end to roaring engines in well built cars of all kinds. If an alternate emission free non carbon power source comes on line, we can all be assured that our fire breathing monsters would be made illegal.

However, If those at the top of the food chain can continue to reap benifets from the processing of carbon-off-set-credits, You'll be able to take your dragon out of the garage for a fee. But the Dragon will have a collar that signals the master as to how much foot pressure you exert.

Enjoy your relationship Dragon masters! Live each day like it's your first and last. Leave the future to those that will inherit it.

Arthur

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by REAL 1

As I read the thread on the new article on SA and the trimming of their operations along with the range of ages of guys that own and like these cars ("Cobras" REAL and non real alike or whatever you define them as) it occured to me whether 15, 20, 30 years from know these cars (Real and non real Cobras alike) will survive..i.e. will there continue enough interest in these cars in later generations to (1) keep values bouyant or increase (2) will there be enough interest in these cars to justify the "replica" industry to carry on.

Within the 1st paragraph of your question, you mention "real" and "non real" twice. I know why, so I'm not asking. But it's superfluous to mention it even once let alone twice. Just say "our Cobra hobby" or whatever.

It's a public forum and I think your setup is...disingenuous.