Filed OR Sanded?

[Rolling Thunder]

David,

I am certainly no expert, but it seems there is a major gap in the Cobra replica marketplace that was created when, and never filled since, Mr. Burtis destroyed Contemporary Classic.

Before SAI and Kirkham entered the market, Contemporary (along with ERA) was the premier manufacturer in terms of quality and authenticity of reproduction. However, since Contemporary went away, no-one has stepped up to offer a viable fiberglass bodied alternative with their level of body reproduction accuracy and a round tube frame.

Everything out there is a compromise - with SAI you have to pay the CSP (Carroll Shelby Premium) for the name, serial number and entry in the registry; with Kirkham there is no fiberglass option; with ERA there is still no round tube frame (and you're also stuck with 60's technology Jag IRS); and to add another, with SPF there is also no round tube frame but there is also a lower level of accurateness to the look of the car.

So, as I see it, Kirkham Motorsports is ideally situated to provide a formidable competitor and fantastic alternative to all of the top manufacturers by offering a fiberglass version of their aluminum body, and essentially take over the market and price point abandoned when Contemporary died.

Immediately, you would offer a comparable alternative to SAI's fiberglass car just as you do with your current aluminum car - without the unnecessary upcharge. You also would compete directly with ERA, only using a more authentic reproduction because of the frame, a rear suspension that has both lower AND upper arms, and hopefully less than a 12 month wait. And if pricing allowed it, you could also pull from both the BB and SB buyers of SPF, with a much better product.

I represent one of those buyers in the high-middle segment of the market. I want, expect, and can afford quality, but I don't care about nor want the expense of a period correct 427 - iron or alum. - nor an aluminum body; but I do want a car that is a dead ringer for the original from any angle (until you open the hood). All at a reasonable price for the package. I know, I may be the only one out there that feels this way, but quite honestly, when I go to replace my old Contemporary in the next 3-5 years, the only way to get what I want in a Cobra replica may be to buy a rolling chassis without body from you and get a fiberglass body from SAI, thereby hopefully avoiding the CS Premium, but getting a high quality, incredibly authentic, fiberglass bodied reproduction, which also uses up-to-date suspension components. About which I would not encounter any anxiety regarding installing a high power small block, nor would I feel like I was wasting my money if I chose to install a 427 or other big block.

I guess that's more than $0.02 worth, but it seems like there's a very good business case for it, and with your company's incredibly high level of quality and authenticity of build, Kirkham Motorsports is the only company capable of filling the void in the market. It would provide increased volume and overall market penetration to you, without sacrificing any of the market reputation the Kirkham products enjoy.

Keith