Top 10 kit cars (2024)

FAQs

What is the most famous kit car? ›

Along with the Caterham 7, the legendary AC Cobra is the most copied car around available in kit form. The first Cobra was created by American racing driver and car designer Carroll Shelby in 1962, who had written to AC asking if they would build him a car modified to accept a V8 engine.

Kit cars, however, don't hold the same predictable resale value. As they are owner-built cars, their quality isn't necessarily consistent – and so their value isn't stable.

The earliest known kit car was designed in 1896. Thomas Hyler-White developed a vehicle that could be assembled at home and published the blueprints in The English Mechanic magazine. Sixteen years later, the “Lad's Car” could be bought either preassembled or in kit form in the United States.

Most customers who have an average knowledge of automotive systems/parts, and have an average set of tools will take about 300 Hours to assemble the kit.

The right-hand drive KITT, known as the "Official Right Hand Drive KITT" as used in the video "Jump In My Car" by David Hasselhoff, is owned by a company called Wilderness Studios Australia.

Making a kit car street legal means ensuring that all the necessary safety equipment is added to your car. While each state requires different things, some items are required regardless of where you are. It's wise to consider this before you build a homemade vehicle. It will save you a lot of headaches later.

Compared to building a Lego set, kit cars are pretty tricky, though they work on comparable principles.

Malcolm Bricklin made his first million in hardware/plumbing supply franchising in Florida before he was 25. He followed that by starting Subaru of America and imported the Subaru 360. He left Subaru of America to build his own automobile; not a 'one-off', a kit or repli-car, but a production car; his own car company.

The average price for a complete kit car runs about $12,000. However, the cost of the components you'll need to source increases the overall outlay. Some kit car manufacturers include some or all of the parts. Depending on the type of kit car you buy, you can expect to pay somewhere between $6,000 and $50,000.

Kit cars became popular in the 1950s. Car production had increased considerably and with rust proofing in its infancy, many older vehicles were being sent to breaker yards as their bodywork was beyond economic repair.

Do kit cars have VIN numbers? ›

A kit vehicle is registered by the kit manufacturer's VIN (they are exempt from the federal 17-digit VIN requirement) and does not have a model year. The make abbreviation is the kit make followed by the abbreviation KT.

Most kit cars come with seriously comprehensive instruction, but basic skills will be key, so make sure you are prepared for the job. All of that aside, the real perk is that with a kit car you can literally build your dream motor.

How much is an Cobra kit car? Building a fibreglass Cobra from scratch will cost between £24,000-£35,000. Depending on customer requirements, a fully-built Cobra kit car sells for £55,000-£70,000. Cobra replicas could cost £18,000 if you source and prep parts yourself.

Whether it's Mexican cartels, LA gangb*ngers, or European villains, a black Range Rover is a prime and general example of gangster or gangsta cars. It's as iconic in movies as it is on the street. One of the most famous specific examples is a gritty one in the UK known as the Range Rover Murders.

One of the most popularly recognized cars used by famous gangsters of the 1920s, as well as, the 1930s, was the 1932 Ford Model 18 V8. This favored Flivver, or what was known as a Ford Automobile at the time, was famously driven by John Dillinger and Bonnie & Clyde.

Diamonds and Luxury: World's Most Expensive Toy Car, a £40k Rolls-Royce Replica, Takes Toy Enthusiasts by Storm. In a world where luxury knows no bounds, a tiny marvel is making waves – a £40,000 replica of the iconic Rolls-Royce Cullinan.