.
Things are only worth what someone is willing to pay for it regardless of the reason and this person felt it was worth it.
Good morning Rosie.
I am actually a bit surprised it didn't go for more...
I love the Shelby Cobra, It has always been a dream car of mine. I think I told you about the time I took an old MG Midget and put a v-6 in it hoping to, because I could never afford a Cobra, get at least close to the feeling of driving one.
When it comes to what makes a collector car so valuable, this car hits all the marks.
Desirability. When it comes to muscle cars, this is one of the most muscular. It is probably one of the most reproduced muscle cars there is. There are many companies that are putting out recreations of the Cobra. You can find a nice copy for around 30 grand and up.
Rarity; There is only one of these cars. Here is a bit of trivia about this car though. When it was built it was sent around to various events and in an effort to show production on the cars had begun, they repainted the car a different color for each event, making it seem there were more than one.
Production. Although Carroll Shelby went on to build quite a few of the Cobras, this was the very first one. The first and last model produced are generally worth more as a collectable. This car represents the idea becoming realty.
Condition. This is an original car. After the car was finally painted the blue it is today, the car has never been restored. It is in original condition. This also makes the car more valuable. It is still the exact same car, with all the same components as it was when Shelby built it. Many older cars have gone through restoration or have had new parts installed. Some have had new engines installed after the original wore out. This devalues the car. You always want as close to factory produced as possible.
Provenance; This is the history of the car. Who has owned it. Did it win any races, Was it used in a movie, etc...
The provenance on this car is what gives it such value. This car has been owned by one person, and that was Carroll Shelby himself. He had it from the cars birth to his death a few years ago. It has never been offered for sale before.
This is the holy grail of muscle cars. It has everything, in spades, a collector would want.
As these original cars become less and less available, they will break down, be crashed, have to be rebuilt, repainted etc, they will become more and more valuable...
I imagine the next time this particular car is offered for sale, it will bring substantially more.
Happy Friday to you
You wax so poetic about it m'dear! If I could afford to buy it for you and gift you with it I would! I think it is true to say that gender-wise guys are a lot more caught upwith their
cars than gals. I know there are exceptions. Thank you for your thoughtful and informative reply to my question. I appreciate it! :) Happy Friday des! :) ((hugs))
Hello there Rosie...
Why Thank You m'dear.
If you ever did it would have to be under the condition you allow me to take you for a drive on the coast highway....
As you can tell, cars are a passion of mine. Like so many other aspects and materials of our lives and history, cars walk you right through it. It is for this reason I am Passionate about historic houses and buildings.
In so many areas we have lost the idea of real quality and craftsmanship. The robots that assemble cars today are a far cry from the men and women that hand forged the cars of yesterday. Just compare a new Cadillac, which you cant really tell apart from a Honda these days, to an older version, say a 59' with its huge tail fins and all that beautiful chrome. Its like the cars back then wore Jewelry, and you could tell what it was from a mile away...
You can look at the history of cars and glean what was important to the society they served at the time.
These cars were works of art.
I agree with thee des though I am not as knowledgeable about cars or historic buildings as you are. But it seems to me many people disrespect the past and find no value in it. They would just as soon tear down the old and replace it with the new and move on. They have no clue that restoration/preservation is the only thing we can do to hold on to our past. Going into a home where people lived in the 1700's gives me goosebumps. On the east Coast preservation seems more important. I don't know how important it is to most folks on the west coast. They seem to like sparkly and shiny and new and are not that concerned about what they have to destroy to get it. Of course you are an exception! BIG SIGH. I just wonder who in the future will care about our time and try to preserve any of it? Imagine the world without the Pyramids or the Acropolis or The Valley of the Kings? When terrorists take over a city it breaks my heart to read that they destroy all the antiquities and treasures. They wipe out the past and when people have memories of those times die, then that past is gone and the time is gone and it is as if it never existed. I don't understand how
people can be so cruel as that. Can you? Thank you for your reply des! :)
Ah, this why I like you so much Rosie, you GET this..
It is such a shame how we have already lost so much of our history.
If we keep going like this we will never have our own "pyramids".
Historical homes and buildings and their preservation are very important to me. I have been active in trying to preserve some of our local homes.
It makes me very sad when hear of another historical building being torn down.
If you ever get bored and feel like exploring some of our losses, here are some that I feel are the most significant
Sorry for not including links, but I am throwing these out off the top of my head.
Homes;
Whitemarsh Hall. home of Edward Stotesbury ,north of Philly' This was a 100,00 sq. ft masterpiece. It would still hold the record for the second largest house built in the U.S. There are still some eerie remnants of the house still standing such as the pillars from the front portico.
Pembroke; The Home of capt. Joseph LaMar. A beautiful French Neoclassical home in Gen Cove N.Y.
Beacon Towers. The home of Alva Vanderbilt in Sands Point N.Y. This house it is said to be one of inspirations for Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. This was truly a castle.
Buildings;
Penn Station, N.Y.
Singer building, N.Y
Birmingham Terminal Station, Birmingham Alabama
Chicago Federal Building, Chicago Ill.
City Hall post office, N.Y.
These are just a few, there are so many, Theaters and town halls and even insane asylums. I would be happy to present a more thorough list if you are interested.
I think you did that once upon a time on Answerbag a few years ago des. That was also when you shared extensive photos of your property. Sad that all of what you shared is not available to us in any archives since Answerbag pulled the plug and absconded with all our Answerbag history. Technically I guess all that info belonged to them. Our creativity. Theirs to do with as they chose. Somehow I don't think providing a forum to exchange ideas entitles the provider to the content of those ideas. I think those who place little value on our past also place little value on the future. They don't care about preserving the planet. They are interested in NOW and having what they want NOW and doing what they want to do NOW
and they don't want to be restricted by any dumb laws that curtail what they want to do NOW. Future generations can fend for themselves. They feel no obligation whatsoever to future generations. NONE. They only live for themselves in the NOW and you'd better stay out of their way or there will be he** to pay. How such cold and myopic people got to be that way is a puzzlement. It's like an alien species to me. Sadly there are many of them. I don't know if there are enough of you to stop them des. I know you won't stop trying.Thank you for your fine reply and yes I think others would be very interested in learning more about that. We can't be the only two on Answermug who care about preserving ideas/buildings/ways of life Can we? In Los Angeles for years we had a TV personality named Ralph Story. A local legend. He did some programs about "Things that are no longer here". He focused on southern California. I guess in ancient times the Library at Alexandria held thousands of volumes of books and when it was burned down all of that was lost forever. I wonder how many other things have been lost forever due to human indifference or wanton purposeful destruction? :(
