It is possible to produce kits that replicate other cars. It's not exactly a great plan to actually produce the vehicles, though.

Using the Cobra and the ******* Daytona Spyder as examples:

The Cobra body shape is not trade dressed by Shelby, and Cobra replica manufacturers have been making kits of this car since 1972 (you can check Cobra history on MY site: www.CobraTrader.com), so there's a good claim that the body shape is public domain; the only person who has attempted to trade dress the body shape as Shelby...and the car was designed and built by AC - Shelby didn't come up with the body shape. There are around 60 companies currently making Cobra replicas. But, for the most part, not one of them is making a turnkey car. Superformance and Backdraft only go as far as turnkey-minus.

The ******* Daytona Spyder, on the other hand, is also a no-longer produced vehicle. Tom McBurnie was making a body kit that fit on a 68-82 Corvette, and then Miami Vice came out and the kit became a bit more well-known. Although the car had not been produced for more than a decade, ******* sued McBurnie, and McBurnie lost. ******* is very aggressive in protecting their body shapes. They trade dress, patent, trademark and copyright at the drop of a hat.

All current-production cars are usually protected by mark or right. So making a kit of a current vehicle will result in a pretty quick lawsuit from the manufacturer of the "real" vehicle. That's why you don't see alot of websites advertising ******* or BMW Z3s; the kits are out there, but you have to really look for them.

Now, as to the complete "turnkey" kit car. I would strongly recommend staying away from making a complete "car." The reason for this is simple: liability. Most kit car manufacturers - while they do carry insurance - can't afford the kind of insurance you'd need to cover something like a Pinto disaster. If one of your employees doesn't bolt something down tight, or a half-shaft that you sourced from an outside vendor fails during a high-speed turn and someone dies, you're out of business. Leave the assembly up to the customer, and make sure that the recognize that they're putting together a vehicle that could concievably kill them if they don't put it together right. You don't need the kind of heat that can result from an accident in a car that you made.

Kits can be shipped to Europe, but there is already a huge kit car industry over there. If you'd like to post what kind of a kit you're looking for, I could probably point you in the right direction.

Hope that helps.

Your pal,
Meat.

KIT STOP - Component Car Parts
Belgium Ph:(32) 3 4822915

Your pal,
Meat.

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