The Classic Replica -Better Than The Real Thing?
March 17, 2023
Replica. It’s a word that can often summon up all kinds of negativity, especially in the automotive world. Despite the old adage stating that imitation is the highest form of flattery, nobody with an interest in cars seems to care. And that is sometimes justified. We’ve all snorted in derision at the 1.3 Escort with a terrible eBay ‘Cosworth’ body kit on it. In the ’90s, it wasn’t uncommon to see Astra Merits with GTE bumpers – normally barely fitted and clinging onto the car for dear life. And of course, we have all double blinked, slowly, at SW20 Toyotas that have been painfully squeezed into a vaguely Ferrari-shaped dress. Cars like this are why the replica is looked down upon. But, in the words of Morpheus, expand your mind. The replica can be something much more desirable.
A replica can be a thing of beauty, and more than that, it can be a means for us mortals to get behind the (an admitted facsimile) wheel of something special. You’re never going to buy a Jaguar D Type, for example. You can buy a stunning replica of one though. It won’t cost you millions, and because of that, you’ll be happy to drive it properly. And you’ll want to, because in the case of most D Type replicas, the suspension and engine are all Jaguar, so it is pretty darn close to the real thing. Or what about a modern take on a classic pre-war car, like the Frazer Nash above? Look at it. Does it matter that it’s not the real deal? Of course not.
And a replica done right is a truly glorious thing because of that aforementioned usability. The top-end replicas are often of cars so far out of reach they may as well be on Mars. And it’s not just about money, either. Many of the most popular replicas are of cars so rare that even if you did manage to get hold of Zuckerberg’s PIN, you still couldn’t actually buy one. Replicas are a point of access, they’re a means for us all to have a taste of what it’s like to own some of the world’s most exclusive and enigmatic machines. And for that, they should be applauded.
They should also be applauded because more often than not, these cars are created by skilled hands. In some cases, like with modern takes on the AC Cobra, the resulting replica can even be better than the original. A more modern engine, better brakes, better suspension components and so on. And in being built they, like production spec classic cars, are helping to keep skills and trades alive in a traditional sense. Remember, we’re talking about the quality replicas here. The days of a 1.3 Escort Bonus with a whale tail are long behind us, thankfully.
If you’re enthusiastic on the spanners, you might even be able to build your own replica. The Cobra is the most obvious train of thought here, but there are others. You can buy all the bits, and then labour over the construction and finish. You can build a replica to your own exacting standards, and fire it up for the first time, safe in the knowledge that you have done it all yourself. And that then bleeds into the driving experience, which will see you unable to take passengers, as you’ll need that space for your enormous sense of pride.
The main thing, however, about replicas, is that there is no shame in owning one. You don’t need to take your Lotus Cortina replica to a car show and try and tell people it’s the real deal. Nobody will scoff, nobody will judge, they will instead be interested and no doubt just as envious as they would be were it the real deal. How does it run on the Zetec, they’ll ask. How long did it take you to build it? What’s the performance like? All the while, you’ll be smiling, because you drove it there – something you’d have to properly weigh up in a real one. The risk would be too much, wouldn’t it?
Fundamentally though, a replica isn’t about appeasing the desires of onlookers (though there is a joy in that as you drive past people). It’s about you, the owner and the driver. The human condition dictates that we are here for a good time, not a long time. So have fun. There is nothing wrong with buying a replica Ferrari or Lamborghini if it brings you joy. Life’s to short to let trivial things like not being a millionaire get in the way! Just buy that replica with the Rover V8 and have a blast. You won’t regret it.
