Cobra Owner Wannabe

[olddog]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I would say that less than one in a thousand people who show a real interest in owning a Cobra are actually cut out for owning a Cobra. Maybe less.

I'm not certain if this is a pessimistic view or a little on the elitist side.

Of course I only know myself for certain, so how could I possibly judge this opinion. I see a few hundred people at the London Cobra show every year, but I doubt in 10 years of ownership that I have met more than a dozen people seriously considering purchasing a Cobra. A few hundred would love to have one, but are in no position to buy one and admit as much. So when you are saying a "real interest" do you mean the "I would love to own one" crowd or are you meaning the "seriously considering purchasing" crowd?

I ask because of the dozen I talked to who where seriously considering purchasing a Cobra, 3 did, but one sold the car without completing it. The rest I haven't seen and assume didn't purchase.

On the other hand, I can see how nobody followed through to ownership after they talked to you.

[patrickt]

You have to eliminate the money side of the equation and, instead, focus on the individual. Regardless of whether they can afford the car, and, regardless of whether they actually do buy the car, if they show serious interest in owning the car, even if in fact they can't because of finances, or, in fact, never do, only one in a thousand is actually cut out to own the car for any more than a token amount of time. You may have spoken to a dozen who were seriously considering buying one because they could, indeed, afford one. But, behind them were hundreds more who had the same level of interest, maybe even more fervent interest, but not the cash. When you take that entire group, only one in a thousand is suitable to own a Cobra for any length of time. They all might think they are, but they're not. Make sense?

[Cobalt289]

If anyone is thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I should get a Cobra, or perhaps I should get a new Camaro convertible instead," they should immediately run down to the local Chevy dealer, and put themselves out of their misery by opting for the maintenance-free performance and all the creature comforts modern technology offers.

Because a Cobra looks different, feels different, drives different, performs different, sounds different...even smells different. Like no other car I've experienced.

And when you pull up next to a shiny new Camaro convertible in your Cobra, it's funny how the Camaro just sort of vanishes and becomes invisible to anyone else on the street...

[olddog]

Originally Posted by patrickt

You may have spoken to a dozen who were seriously considering buying one because they could, indeed, afford one. But, behind them were hundreds more who had the same level of interest, maybe even more fervent interest, but not the cash.

Well, since you included the homeless, Drug addicts, the welfare class, and the poor, I now realize that was a very optimistic viewpoint indeed. It might be closer to 1 in a 100 million, because I have met few people who do not love the Cobra.

When people come to this sight seriously intending to buy with $40K budget in there back pocket, you sometimes seem to treat them the same as the people who will never follow through anyway, which I do see a distinction. However on the other hand, you do provide a great service by explaining what a Cobra really is, and have saved people from wasting money on a fantasy that would have been a waste of money when reality hit. Hmm.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by olddog

However on the other hand, you do provide a great service by explaining what a Cobra really is, and have saved people from wasting money on a fantasy that would have been a waste of money when reality hit. Hmm.

My feeling is that true Cobraphiles can not be dissuaded, come Hell or high water.