Restomods vs. Replicas

[Strat Fan]

Chris, why is an LB STR "a kit car first & a turnkey product second"? Is that due to the numbers of each?

Cheers,
Hedge

Because it was launched, conceived and marketed primarily as a kit in the early days. The turn key side of the market was just a small percentage of the sales back then.
As the kits have evolved and the specs and the finish of the cars have evolved then I think the market for the turn keys has increased.
There is also probably a shift in the market where some of the customers who desire these cars are maybe better equipped financially than they were traditionally.
These customers may also be less well equipped to build their own car due to a lack of mechanical experience & also maybe have no desire to go rummaging around scrap yards for donor parts etc etc.
I think the replicas are best described as homage cars where they take the appearance of the originals but do not mimic the construction methods, materials & components of the originals.
Instead they tip the hat to the real Stratos but use a different chassis structure, body material, brake package, engine etc in attempt to make them easier to construct & more accessible to the everyman.

A true replica or continuation car would be something more like Gerry is working on where you start with a reproduction steel tub and then build a rivet replica from this using remanufactured or authentic parts along with a Dino engine.
As Chris says a restomod would involve the modification of an original steel monocoque chassis'd car which I don't think should really happen. The only other option would be to build from the Marchesi or GTO Tech reproduction chassis and then introduce a more modern Ferrari engine, oversize wheels, larger brakes, some carbon panels & an LCD dash etc etc. Who in their right mind would fit oversize wheels and brakes to a Stratos'.....