The future of Cobras and hobby kit cars?

[blykins]

Honestly? I think the market is getting saturated. I see more and more Cobras for sale here on Club Cobra.

I would think that going to the London Cobra show pretty much put the nail in the coffin for me. If you're out and about here in Louisville, you may see one or two Cobras per year out on the road, which makes it fun and intriguing. When you go to a Cobra show and see 300 all at once, it kinda takes the fun out of it....for me anyway.

[dallas_]

Originally Posted by blykins

Honestly? I think the market is getting saturated. I see more and more Cobras for sale here on Club Cobra.

Just curious, are you seeing a decline in orders for engines?

[NewYorkGuy]

Originally Posted by blykins

Honestly? I think the market is getting saturated. I see more and more Cobras for sale here on Club Cobra.

I would think that going to the London Cobra show pretty much put the nail in the coffin for me. If you're out and about here in Louisville, you may see one or two Cobras per year out on the road, which makes it fun and intriguing. When you go to a Cobra show and see 300 all at once, it kinda takes the fun out of it....for me anyway.

Those 300 Cobras, your guess to how many owners are under 40 yrs old, how many are new builds, and how many are trailer queens(under 5K miles) ?

I dont believe the Cobra replica is too expensive for younger people. I've been to plenty of import/tuner shows and many cars are past $60K. The Import King is the Nissan GTR and that starts at $100K. Young or old, people find the money for the cars they want

[vatdevil]

Interest in Cobra replicas will always be there, but we are probably past peak demand. Moving forward, there will be more Coyote motors and 18 inch rims. Less concern with authenticity.

[AL427SBF]

Kobura's point is pretty valid with the drop in new CA SPCNS applications, probably true across the country. I also expect by 2025 DMV regs will require all registered cars to meet some fairly strict emission standard, and maybe even a tax, should one opt to not go mainstream green. The future of this hobby is not so bright imho.

[PANAVIA]

I have Silicon Valley engineers that buy cobras and have us help with them - in one case his cobra was the first stick shift and first carbureted car he had.

As far as where the hobby will go, only time will tell.

Steve

[PANAVIA]

I have Silicon Valley engineers that buy cobras and have us help with them - in one case his cobra was the first stick shift and first carbureted car he had.

As far as where the overall hobby will go, only time will tell...

Steve

[Bartruff1]

The original Cobras will continue to appreciate...and other truly unique or historic and rare cars will continue to appreciate.

The market for Cobra Replicas and the Muscle Cars are a demographic bubble and will die off along with the people that buy them.... I guess..

" That is a cool car" does not equate to a future purchase.

The existing cars will be grandfathered for use, but there will be additional regulation, increased cost and lack of demand that will lead to a much smaller market with only a few manufacturers...

Making predictions is risky business, especially if they are about the future.

I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that a Yenko Camaro or a Boss or a Hemi Cuda would sell for $300,000.

[Cobraatak]

Originally Posted by Bartruff1

The original Cobras will continue to appreciate...and other truly unique or historic and rare cars will continue to appreciate.

The market for Cobra Replicas and the Muscle Cars are a demographic bubble and will die off along with the people that buy them.... I guess..

" That is a cool car" does not equate to a future purchase.

The existing cars will be grandfathered for use, but there will be additional regulation, increased cost and lack of demand that will lead to a much smaller market with only a few manufacturers...

Making predictions is risky business, especially if they are about the future.

I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that a Yenko Camaro or a Boss or a Hemi Cuda would sell for $300,000.

You can count me as another one who never saw the appreciating prices of past muscle cars coming...as I sold my Boss 429 for less than $2,500 in 1975...and I was the original owner too!!

[mdross1]

My belief is after 45 yrs. of watching how the industry goes just like the economy it has it's ups and downs. We just sold an SS Chevelle after owning it 35 yrs. originally paying $2800.00. It's value was up and down over the years but always on the upward swing.

There will always be gearheads the aftermarket popularity shows it all too well. Never thought I would ever see the day where you could buy a new 69 Camaro steel unibody. Whoops! maybe want to rephrase that "replica" 69 Camaro steel body.

Who really knows what the future will bring especially with the brace of politicians we have and the wealthy that own them. They are destroying the middle class classification that helped make this country what it is.

[dallas_]

At least in my mind, there is a difference between the hobby and investment market.

I think there will always be a place for guys to own, build and/or restore cars as a hobby.

Now as far as classic cars for investment purposes, I agree with many who think we may be at or near the top of the market because of demographics.

Only time will tell.

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by dallas_

At least in my mind, there is a difference between the hobby and investment market.

I think there will always be a place for guys to own, build and/or restore cars as a hobby.

Now as far as classic cars for investment purposes, I agree with many who think we may be at or near the top of the market because of demographics.

Only time will tell.

While I think predicting the future can be a fool's errand, I also think there's a difference between the "hobby" and "investment" markets.

While prices may fluctuate, the trend will continue up for cars such as the old and older Ferrari's, air-cooled Porsche's, Jaguar's, musclecar era cars such as the Hemi Cuda and of course, the original 1960's era Shelby & AC Cobra's. IMO, they're like art work and paintings.

Hobby and/or kit cars will be around in the future, but the faces and regulations will change and the hobby will be forced to change with it.

[PSB]

I went to Mecum on Sat with my 6 year old son, mostly just to see the cars. I was a bit surprised at the demographics. I understand the bidders being mostly older guys who've got the money to spend $100K+ on a toy car, but the spectators were mostly 50s+ also. Very few people under 30 there.

I was encouraged by the bids for the three Cobra replicas that were at the auction. A very basic (4 lug wheels, drum brakes, ect) FFR didn't make reserve at $38K. Whoever owns that car messed up big time by not taking the reserve off. Another, nicely build built FFR with some upgrades sold for $38K, and a beautiful ERA went in the low $60s.

[NewYorkGuy]

If there is a decline in hobby kit Cobras, it is because the Cobra is an old toy. It is a "slinky" toy in a Playstation and XBox toy store. The answer is that simple.

[G-Pete]

Originally Posted by NewYorkGuy

If there is a decline in hobby kit Cobras, it is because the Cobra is an old toy. It is a "slinky" toy in a Playstation and XBox toy store. The answer is that simple.

Well, then watch here how the slinky spanks the $190000 playstation hahahaha

BTW: There is no decline...whatsoever


Factory Five Kit Cars vs a Lamborghini Gallardo! - HOT ROD Unlimited Episode 27 - YouTube

[AL427SBF]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

Well, then watch here how the slinky spanks the $190000 playstation hahahaha

If that were a 2-event run 'n gun it would go to the '33 Ford

[itstock]

The younger people have come and go as you please "car meets", much like you old timers had in the glory days of high school in the 70's.

Car shows with trophies have always been for old people.

[JoeT]

Originally Posted by itstock

The younger people have come and go as you please "car meets", much like you old timers had in the glory days of high school in the 70's.

Car shows with trophies have always been for old people.

agreed, show up at a "cars and coffee" event anywhere in the country and most likely the turn out is bigger than any of the saturday car shows you attend

One of the best parts is you show up, have coffee, talk cars and leave anytime you want.

I'm 46 and love car shows....for about an hour, maybe 90 minutes. I usually take one of my daughters. My 12 year old plays a game called

"lets see how many people we see that look happy". Usually the number is less than 10

We go to a couple cruise nights too, mostly to grab an ice-cream. Same dozen cars, same grumpy old farts. We'll grab an ice cream, walk the lot once and head right back out.

If we hit a cars and coffee, every visit is different, the cars range from new VW's and lambos to pre-war stockers and hot rods and everything in between. All car guys (and girls), all proud of the work they've done, and almost all willing to talk cars

[Mark Brye]

Originally Posted by itstock

The younger people have come and go as you please "car meets", much like you old timers had in the glory days of high school in the 70's.

Car shows with trophies have always been for old people.

I agree. I see the younger generation all the time in BMW groups and Honda groups and such. I see them fill an entire mall parking lot in the snap of a finger, then off they go to another location.

You would not go to a rap concert to see a country singer just as they go to their import meets on the weekends rather than cars and coffee type locations that we hangout at.

[MRGEORGE077]

Young and a number of middle age folks today have no clue as to how to work on them, let alone keeping them running. As the great mechanics leave the field, the cars will , sadly, solely die.