There are as many reasons for building a Cobra replica as there are companies offering them, but the fellow who put this stunning Gentry Motor Works roadster together did it to get the authentic Cobra experience without the 7-figure price tag.

Sure, the body's fiberglass, but the proportions are dead-on. A lot of Cobra kits take liberties with the original shape, either in the interest of interior space or aesthetics, but not this one. The finish quality is surely worlds better than any original aluminum-bodied snake, but that's one of the sole deviations from original, and you can't really blame the guy for wanting it to be pretty. Black Cobras are rare, but nobody will argue that the shape doesn't look like a million bucks here, and a lot of extra time went into making it look this good. The doors fit snugly, the hood gaps are exacting, and even the trunk closes tightly. Impressive work! And for subtlety, there are no stripes and no meatball on the side, so it lets the purity of the Cobra design speak for itself.

That same attitude was carried inside, where correct leather buckets were fitted, along with the right style carpets and the simple door panels that characterized the basic early Cobras. That steering wheel is an authentic Mota-Lita unit complete with AC logo on the horn button. Stewart Warner gauges have been fitted in the correct 427 layout and are flanked by correct Lucas toggle switches. There are more AC logos on the pedals, and the shifter is a reversed Ford unit, just like the originals. It includes a heater/defroster unit and weather equipment includes a matching black top and tonneau cover that fits neatly around the chrome roll bar. No radio, no tacked-on A/C, no modern gauges, just a simple, clean interior that was what a Cobra buyer would have received in 1965. Even the trunk is finished in matching carpets with a hidden Optima battery.

The engine bay is also highly authentic, given that the powerplant is a 428 instead of the more common 427. A handful of 428-powered Cobras slipped out of Shelby American's Los Angeles facility, most of which looked exactly like this. Finned valve covers and a correct air box for the carburetor have been fitted, and the traditional Cobra expansion tank on the upper radiator hose looks right. It snarls to life through a set of great-sounding side pipes, and the transmission is a correct Toploader 4-speed manual feeding a fully independent rear with limited-slip. The chassis is hand-made from 4-inch round tubing, just like the originals, and it has been fitted with Wilwood discs at all four corners. The finishing touch are the genuine Halibrand knock-off wheels wearing reproduction Goodyear Racing Rain tires, just like in 1965.

If it's originality you crave, this is your Cobra. For 5% of the price of a real one, it's got to be the bargain of the century. Call today!

This vehicle is located in our Atlanta, GA showroom. For more information, please call (678) 279-1609 or toll free (877) 367-1835.