Replica: Tribute or "VOUD!"

Replica: Tribute or "VOUD!"

Replicas are not original classics. Replicas are often not even true classics in years. But what they all share: They look like a historical example. Or at least they try to do that. They can be fantastically beautiful and fun cars or vehicles that seem to come straight from a Disney film. Most have a VW or ugly duck chassis. Some have a real Rolls Royce or Bentley chassis ...

Most replicas have 'kit cars' as their origins. That kit car event originally comes from England where tax breaks were awarded to kit cars. And that the self-assembly also brought people to highly exotic thoughts?

Ever cheap

Kit cars were therefore cheap cars based on parts from other cheap cars, a chassis of their own and self-designed, basal sheet metal. But pleasant decadence also struck in that branch of service. Of course it was soon figured out that you could put all kinds of fun on the Volkswagens platform. And among the Dune Buggies born from that thought are now also sought-after models. Such a buggy cockpit definitely gave a Beetle chassis allure. But whether a polyester Porsche Spiderbody did that too? According to many pleasant dreamers it is. The most fanatical 356 Spider enthusiasts saw their chance to almost copy their dream car. But in a broad sense, the Porsches construction set was still seen as a weakness for poor people.

Replicas: Sometimes already priceless

And there we are in 2017. A real 356 is priceless. And a nice 356 Spider replica? It just does more than 40 mille. And if you come across a Porsche Spider on the way, then that is certainly a replica for 99%. The same goes for Ford GT40, AC Cobras and quite a few classic Ferraris: What you see is not what it seems. But if the performance and quality of such a car is convincing enough, then its existence is really no longer carelessly waved away with "It's a fake." A replica can be a tribute instead of a weakness. And, as my grandfather blessedly said: "You can still dance, even if it is not with the bride."

Kit car or receation?

For example, a Bentley Blue Train recreation, a tribute to completely different times built by recognized and well-known Bentley specialist "Racing Green", is no way to make something less expensive look like something more expensive. The Racing Green company builds these cars by hand to as far as possible / original specifications and the color preferences of the customer. There is such a beautiful road giant for sale for 429.500 euros in Brummen. Equipped with the famous Bentley B80 5.675cc 8 cylinder engine in combination with a manual 4 gearbox. Without delivery costs. On paper, the chassis year is 1953.

The Clenets, Tartans, Blackstones, Auburn Speedster replicas, Zimmers and Excaliburs are the less Calvinistic recreated tributes to the toppers of the time. They are much cheaper than the Blue Train. And sometimes freakishly ugly.

Due to the changed legislation it is no longer possible to get a registration number on a shortened VW chassis. As a result, the real shortened buggies will become more expensive. Donor chassis for RR and Bentley recreations are not really available anymore. Replicas are no longer cheap by definition. The offer is still reasonable for rebirths on a 2CV basis. But you no longer have a registered donor duck for 200E.

They can just be very nice, nostalgic cars

This whole reflection or moral acceptability of replicas started after we had seen some pictures of a BMW Z3 disguised as an AC Cobra. That is a conversion that the RDW has no trouble with. And the result is in any case a wonderfully nostalgic-looking sports car with an enormously high daily employability. And although the real die-hards are probably going crazy now: Think about how a Porsche Speedster replica is now viewed?