Without the aid of much more than photographs and hand tools, building a great replica used to be an arduous blend of solid engineering techniques and an artful mastery of the materials available. And lots of trial and error. Now, molds, laser scanning, crate engines, and a huge motorsport industry mean that—while not easy or inexpensive—great replicas are more attainable than ever. So which classic car should get one?
We’ve featured replica Ford GT40s, Datsun 240Z rally cars, Porsche 550s and Speedsters, Frazer-Nash sports cars…it’s getting to be a long list. As you’d expect, the heavyweight classics are better-represented in the ranks of well-engineered replica machines: Jaguar C and D-Types, XKSS, and XJ13; some Ferraris; early Porsches. Oh, and sports cars called the “Cobra” and “7”.
Add to those the scores of reproduction bodies, chassis, and reissued parts—Ford Mustang, Volkswagen Beetle, Mini, and Porsche 911 owners, for instance, could splurge on an internet shopping session and find the parts needed to build a complete car delivered in less than a few weeks.
For every one of those machines, though, where are the replica Alpine A110, C1 Chevrolet Corvette, Citroën DS, Cisitalia 202, and Mercedes-Benz W196s? Surely there’s interest among enthusiasts to have other vintage designs resurrected and reborn for today’s roads.
Which vintage car deserves a modern replica?
Photography by Afshin Behnia, Ted Gushue, Nat Twiss, & Brian Bassard
