[DeTomaso] Authentic versus non-authentic

[asajay at asajay.com]

I think Mike Drew owns a great example.  He owns an original Pantera  
that has been someone restored -and- modified but is an authentic  
Pantera.  He also owns a Mustang that is a clone of (I think) a GT350.  
  He makes no bones about it being a clone and not an authentic, even  
though it probably far exceeds the performance of an original.

In contrast, there used to be a guy here in Spokane that owned an AC  
Cobra replicar.  It was very nicely done but he continually passed it  
off as an authentic original.  When challenged on that by folks who  
knew better, and after looking at the VIN tags, this guy would usually  
just -leave- the car show in a huff.  It was too bad really, he had a  
nice car and probably could have won some awards even though it was  
not an original Cobra.

In the kit car world there are those that are fantastic, and those  
that are not.  The kit Pantera (or Fake Pantera as some have called  
it) is an example of a poorly engineered project.  It would take a lot  
of work to make it look right even if it wasn't an authentic Pantera.   
At least it's not being passed off as an authentic Pantera.  Though we  
have a hard enough time sometimes reminding people the Pantera in it's  
original was not and is not a -kit-.

On the other end of the spectrum we have things like the Kirham Cobra  
or the Factory Five GT40s.  These ares such finely engineered replicas  
that someone like me can't even afford one.  I'd be stuck with the old  
fashioned volkswagon chassis with a fiberglass shell kit.  I would  
dearly love to get into a replica GT40 and maybe someday I'll be able  
to afford one, but I'm certainly not going to pass it off as an  
original, unless it really is.

And in fact I think Bob makes my overall point, because I don't think  
I could own that much of an original car that I couldn't touch it.   
The Pantera is different, thankfully, but an original GT40 or an  
original AC Cobra?  I don't know I could enjoy it.

Anyway.... just thought I'd pop in here for a minute.
Asa Jay