Wandering through Russo & Steele's auction tents in Scottsdale last February I came upon an entire fleet of early Porsches. Only when I looked closely did I realise they were fakes. Or to put it more kindly, replicas. Nice ones, too, considering the astronomical price of the real thing. To be honest, I must confess I'm no longer the purist I once was, for I can now appreciate the value of a vintage automobile that's been updated for reasons of safety and dependability. If a car is to be driven frequently as opposed to running only in special events, those things matter.
Indeed, the manufacturing of replicas has turned into an established cottage industry, with builders in the US and UK turning out a variety of models, even including the gullwing Mercedes 300SL and the sexy 1938 Talbot Lago coupe; the latter renamed Talbo without the "t." It sells for $150,000 and if that sounds like a lot, consider that a museum-quality Talbot costs around five times that much. One of my favorites is not a replica but a totally rebuilt version of the 1960's Jaguar Mk. II, arguably the most beautiful mass production sedan ever made. Several English firms offer these cars with contemporary Jaguar engines and transmissions, new 4-wheel disc brakes, wider wheels and tires, modern lighting, and everything else either refurbished or replaced. Again, they're not cheap but what you're getting is a classic you can enjoy every day without fear of breakdown or discomfort.
American hot rod constructors have been creating one-offs for decades but in recent years they've expanded into small-scale production. Some of these customs, available as kits and based on Lincolns, "Fords" and even "Cords", are quite beautiful; in their own way a return to the custom bodies of the classic era. Of course, cars like the AC Cobra and Lotus Seven have been replicated by a variety of builders over the years. Beware of fake Ferraris, though. Some things should never be changed. "Click here" to see some of the latest replicas in a New York Times slide show.