Evan: If you don't think that people & companies in this country take products, make some changes to it, improve upon it, find ways to make it at a cheaper rate, and then offer the same, or similar product to the public at a competitive price...........then you aren't living in the USA. It IS the American way. Those companies that have products and designs that they wish to keep for themselves, patent them. Shelby didn't try and put an end to the replica's until AFTER he saw the money they were making. If that isn't bitterness & greed, then what do you call it?
You can continue to argue until you're blue in the face, over the Cobra's being produced today by Shelby as being "REAL". I'm not one who has argued with you over that. I indeed think that the cars they are making today are REAL Shelby Cobra's (with CSX numbers and everything!). "Genuine", however, means something totally different (to ME anyway). "Genuine" means "authentic". Authentic, to me, has to do with History / or the past......which means "original". The noun definition for "original" in Websters states "original work". ........The original work on Cobra's was done in the 60's.
I'm not "pissed" (as you put it), that Shelby has dicided to compete in the market. I think he should have done this a long time ago! -THAT'S my point!! His competing in the "lower priced" roller market is NOT why I think he is "greedy", -just the opposite, in fact! ....The greed came from NOT competing in this price range in the first place, but instead, he wanted to try and sell his cars at a much higher price (because of his name). When replica companies kept selling more and more cars, (at least more than he obviously like seeing them sell), then he tried to get RID of the replica companies that were doing well, by SUING them out of existence......thus eliminating the competition and FORCING people to by HIS product (at a higher price) if they wanted to own a Cobra. That would be like Coke suing Pepsi, or Levi suing Bugle Boy, or anyone else who decides they want to make jeans and sell them at a competitive price. Eliminating the competition is NOT the way to go (although a lot of companies try). COMPETING, is the American way, and I'm glad he has decided to try, BUT.......he only decided to try it AFTER LOOSING in the court room. Do you think we would have ever seen a 40K roller out of Shelby had he been successful in his litigation and retained the "rights" to the shape of the car (AC's shape, by the way.......but let's not go there!). HELL NO !! Instead, he would have kept a lot of us from ever owning a Cobra..............because we would'nt have been able to afford it.
Heck, CS should be HAPPY that replica's are out there. They have kept the Cobra popular by putting them into the hands of more and more people. I would argue, counselor, that replica companies have even improved HIS business and financial status (he probably never would have started making Cobras again had the replica companies not proved their popularity and demand). I think a lot of people get into a replica of something as a "stepping stone" on the way to having the REAL thing. I'm sure CS has sold more than 1 CSX car to someone who was a previous "replica" owner.
Am I "pissed" (again, as you like to put it....) that "in the end, when it comes time to sell the 'ol SPF, it won't bring what it used to". ???
No. Not at all. In fact, nobody yet knows what will happen to the used Cobra market. Time will tell, and a lot will depend on what type of car you actually get for your money. SPF puts out a good product for the dollar. So does ERA, and many others. There will always be a demand for "good products". Besides, I didn't get a car for a "monetary investment". -I would have gone with something entirely different if my retirement was riding on the car I bought! The only investment I made was in "making life more FUN". ........And in THAT department, I'm getting a very nice return on my money!
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