I've read all the above comments and varying opinions with great interest.
Never, never, ever in the field of human endeavour has there been such a minefield of conflicting interests, judgements and opinions. Hey, that's me speaking not Sir Winston Churchill!
Seriously, the whole issue of originals versus replicas is a veritable minefield. What's original and what's not. To fully understand the issue one must go back to the mindset of the people who were building the cars in the 1960s era, ie GT40s, Lola T70s, Ferrari P4s, various Porsche models, etc. The main aim was to build cars to win races and in many cases the cars were rough and with not much thought for creature comforts, ie GT40 roof line resting on your head, Porsche 917 with feet ahead of the front wheel centre line.
Driven and motivated by a competitive spirit and a need to win cars were constantly improved leading to the oft quoted saying that in a run of 100 and more racing sports cars built to qualify for homologation, 'Not one car was the same as the other.' This immediately poses the question of originality. With the recent acceptance by the FIA of 'original replicas' does a bewildered FIA scrutineer say, 'Hang on, the row of rivets there on your new replica are larger than those on chassis number 27 built in June, 1967.'Yeah but from chassis number 33, built in August, the rivets were increased in size and I copied those.' A minefield indeed. The last thing on anyone's mind was to build cars for future rules some 40 years down the line let alone the near impossibility of imagining being 64 when you are 24! Or that man would land on the moon!
Another problem with establishing rules today was that in those hectic competitive years accident damaged cars were often stripped and cannibalised with parts of other cars. What happens in the case of a car badly damaged in the 1960s and having parts and its chassis plate moved across to a new car. What happens when that wreck, supposedly a write off at the time, is taken out of mothballs and rebuilt now. Which car has the right to the original chassis number? This is plain circumstance, not foreseen by the owner of the car at the time and if two cars were to land up side by side at a show or race meeting with the same chassis numbers, as has been the case, it would have nothing to do with dishonesty or fraud. It's no doubt this scenario of which there are many hundreds of similar cases that's made the FIA say, what the hell, we just can't police this lot!
The plot thickens ever further. By authentic one would assume the coming new Superformance GT40 MK11 with monocoque 100% as per original. What would happen if another company were to produce an indentical monocoque but with the roof section still in fibreglass. Should a CAV or RF GT40 be excluded just because they have space frame chassis? After all they are visually identical to their monocoque cousins.Decisions, decisions!
There's an absolute irrefutable fact in all of this - a replica cannot and will never have the value of an original. Nor will it ever threaten the value IMHO. If some brilliant sculptor were to make a precise copy of the statue of Venus de Milo so be it but you'll always find the original in the Louvre in Paris. This is what I said to some owners of original cars who got twitchy about my push for replicas.
In some small way I might have had something to do with the new ruling. For the past five years or so I've been nagging David Piper and Co as well as some influential people in motor sport in the UK to have precise replicas accepted in the FIA registered historic classes. This was motivated by two reasons - one self serving and the other altruistic. Having been involved with the building of replica racing sports cars I saw this as a business opportunity. On the other hand I've lost count of the number of people in the 50s and 60s age group who tell me that they would love to race in classics in a GT40, a Lola T70, a P4, a 917, whatever, but stand a better chance of flying to Mars than be able to afford an original car. It would give me a great kick if I could make some of these guys realise a long cherished dream by delivering an affordable precise replica to them. Something that's motivated this dream is that they see Sir Stirling Moss (born September 17, 1929), Sir Jack Brabham ( April 2, 1926), Phil Hill (April 27, 1927), David Piper (December 2, 1930) and many others as fast as ever in their mid-70s. So a guy who's 55 says I've got 20 years to go! In theory at any rate!
You'll be surprised at how many approaches I've had from various people in the UK, the US and Germany
to build their replica racing sports cars in Cape Town. A German friend, who builds replica Porsche 910s, 908s and has about 70% of all the 904 bits, is threatening to move his whole operation to Cape Town. He charges FOUR times more for a car less engine and gearbox than we would charge. The reason is that thanks to a weak rand (not as weak as before) we can build cars at competitive prices. There's a misconception that we have cheap labour rates. Not true, Jimmy Price told me recently that his labour rate is about the same as in the US is dollar terms. It's all to do with currency.
Products are always driven by supply and demand and this is case with classic racing which has exploded in recent years all over the world to such an extent that in many cases events draw far more spectators than current formulae. Note also the current boredom and cynicism relating to F1 racing as previously mentioned on this forum. I'm quite convinced that this retro mood is largely psychological and driven by the fact that the word of the 1960s was perceived to be a happier and freer place than today's over regulated, computer driven world beset by increasing crime, lack of discipline and respect in many cases and worse still, international terrorism. Being negative, no, just realistic. However, on the positive side the modern world has much to offer - ATM banking, the Internet, cell phones, amazing medical and surgical procedures, safer cars, faster aircraft and much else besides. Dale Carnegie says be positive!
Last year's Le Mans drew 305 entries for the curtain raiser classic races before the main event and there were 2000 club cars in the car park. If you want to step back in time just go the Goodwood Revival Meeting. I was there in 2000 and last year, when thanks to this website I met up with Chris Melia, Brian Magee and Roy Snook. Goodwood is absolute MAGIC! In your line of vision at any time you'll see some of the world's most famous racing cars, including a row of seven original GT40s.. The side shows, Spitfires flying overhead, Laurel and Hardy driving around in a Model T, the period dress, all brilliant. Yeah, and you young guys don't know about suspender belts and stockings. Pity you missed out!
At a recent Revival meeting a replica Marilyn Monroe gave Sir Stirling Moss a big hug and a kiss for his birthday. Now you see that's my point, there can only be one original Marilyn Monroe and the replica can never have the same value! 'Let's have look, Marilyn's finger nails were longer than yours and your feet are bigger than hers were. Call the scrutineer!'
In conclusion I believe that the FIA's decision is the right one. It's a win-win situation. From a race organisers point of view fields would be larger, some older boys would have an opportunity to race, there would be a new supply of affordable parts for some original cars, spectators would see more cars from a magnificent era in action and for some it'll be an enjoyable business opportunity. Above all the owners of original cars wouldn't be threatened.
I rest my case!
Andre 40
