Sal’s Shelby Cobra
This is a prime example of how cars can bring all people to together. The owner of this car is more than twice as old as I am but because we have a love for automobiles, we instantly became friends. Sal is the owner of this beautiful Shelby Cobra 427 replica car. This car was built and manufactured in New Britain, Connecticut by a company called Era Replica Automobiles. Now, before I get the question, “Tevyn, why did he buy a replica of the Shelby Cobra instead of just buying a real one??” Well, let me explain. The Original 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 is a very rare and sought after car among classic car collectors. If you wanted to buy an Original 1966 Shelby Cobra in pristine condition, it would cost you somewhere between $1.2 Million - $6 Million. So, there are companies that specialize in making a replica version of the car that is as close to the original as possible: the way it looks, sounds, drives, and just the all around experience of owning a Shelby Cobra.
His motor is a 427 Aluminum FE Motor built by Keith Craft racing engines out of Arkansas and was then shipped to ERA and then installed by them. The engine can produce about 670 hp but the car was put on a chassis dyno and produced 425 hp to the wheels, which I think is underestimated because the car is very quick and sounds INSANE!! One of the loudest cars I have ever heard. The car is painted Twilight Blue Pearl with Wimbledon White stripes.
I was talking to Sal and I asked him the same question I ask everyone, “Why did you pick this car to own out of all the cars in the world?” and Sal said to me the reason he picked ERA out of Connecticut is their reputation of quality and authenticity to the Original Cobra from 1966. When you are paying this much for a Replica, you want it done right. Side note: Just because they are replicas do not mean that they are cheap. Sal told me that he put just somewhere in the ball park of $90,000 in this car and there are replica companies out there that will run you about $140,000 and more because their quality and replication is next to none. He also said to me that as a kid growing up, he always liked them. So when you like a car for that long, you have to make it a goal to own one some day.
I have to thank Sal for not only letting me take photos of his car, but opening my eyes to another generation of cars. I have never hated classic cars nor did I think they were ugly, I just never really gave them the time of day, kind of brushing them off. After seeing this car up close in person, my appreciation for classic cars shot through the roof. These cars are just as beautiful today as they were 55 years ago. Now I understand why these types of cars are so desirable. So thank you. Hope you liked the pictures and enjoyed the hang out.
