TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Oiled And Coiled, Raw Power Is Under This Cobra's Hood

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 3, 2008

An electrical engineer who used to work for General Motor's engineering and research division in Flint, Mich., Dennis Abbey moved to Florida nine years ago. He had built race cars for himself all his life, so starting a business to build cars for other people "was kind of a no-brainer," he says.

For his East Tampa company, Precision Cobras, Abbey is making and selling hand-built replicas of the Cobra, the iconic 1966 race car that fused American muscle and British design. He recently completed his first replica, a dazzling blue speedster with twin white stripes. It's been sold for $90,000 to a buyer in New Jersey.

The original cars from the 1960s can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Business, Page 1

•Because of 42 years of advancements in automotive technology, Abbey's Cobra is much more efficient, lighter and offers more legroom than the original Cobra.

•He says he expects to build 15 to 20 Cobra replicas a year.

•Unlike most other new $90,000 cars, a replica Cobra doesn't include air conditioning, a cigarette lighter, a navigation system, a roof - or even a cup holder.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT