Browsing through the latest Consumer Reports 2009 Auto issue, I count 34 different car manufactures and they didn't include Aston Martin, Bugati, Maserati, or Ferrari. I am sure there are a few more too. Lets say 40 manufactures offering 5 models each - that's 200 different cars. Prices range from about 16K to well over 200K. That is a lot of variety. Current economy excluded, these cars exist because there is a market for them. An individual's idea of the perfect car varies greatly.
I think most of us enjoy vintage Mustangs because they are relatively rare, have distinctive styling, and are performance oriented. Some of us are more brand loyal than others (my dream garage would have a few Mustangs, a Cuda, a Road Runner, a GTO, Vette, etc..) but overall our tastes are similar.
I built my Shelby RestoClone for more performance, safety, and comfort so it would be comparable to "modern" performance cars. Let's face it, Muscle Cars were the dinosaur kings of the eighties but current cars beat them in every category except maybe looks which is very subjective (remember the 200 new cars above).
So my fastback was rotisseried and restored to new, upgraded with Lizard Skin and Dynomat for a quieter ride, trick
suspension and chassis reinforcements for handling and integrity, big power disc brakes and rack & pinion steering for precision, recontoured seats with headrests, shoulder harnesses and collapsible steering column for safety, A/C and stereo for comfort, and an aluminum 482FE with 5-speed for awesome acceleration.
I don't dare break out my well hidden receipts for fear of being caught, but I am sure there is 90K in the car. It's a great car and turns lots of heads but you know what? I was looking at a 2003 Porsche 911 Turbo with 28,000 miles for $42K that would beat my car in every category: acceleration, top end, slalom, braking, and gas mileage. It has ABS, air bags, cruise control, all-wheel drive, is more comfortable to drive, and more reliable. Porsches are fairly common on the road but not the turbo models. They are still somewhat distinctive. Right down the street was a 2006 Viper for the same price. The Porsche originally sold for over 100K and the Viper for about 80K. They will depreciate a little more but not much. Judging from current eBay auctions, I might be able to get 60-70K for my car. I have to say, I'm tempted to sell at a loss, buy a Porsche, and use the rest to get the wife a new SUV. I would probably have enough left over for upgraded turbos or some other neat parts so I would still have a "hobby" car to turn wrenches on.
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