re: What vehicle made in the last 30 years do you think qualify as a collectable?

quote:

---

A Cobra R model was also produced in 1993. It featured larger brakes (13" directionally vented front and 10.5 radially vented rear compared to 10.84 vented front and 10.7 vented rear), Koni shocks and struts, an engine oil cooler, a power steering cooler, and a factory rear seat delete. The wheels were 17" 5-lug wheels, which were available for the '94 Mustang as an option, painted gloss black. Since the Cobra "R" was race oriented, options such as air conditioning and a stereo system were not offered. The car also did not come with a warranty. Each of the 107 produced were offered in Vibrant Red only. The price of the R was $26,692 as opposed to $21,578 for the standard Cobra.

Ford wanted to make sure that these limited edition models of the Cobra were not put away in some collector's garage. Thus every buyer had to have an active and valid racing license in order to be able to buy one of these cars.

---

quote:

---

In the wake of the '93 R’s unexpected success, SVT engineers developed a more powerful R-model based on the 1995 Cobra. Top priority became addressing customer requests for a larger, more powerful engine and more fuel capacity. In response to those requests, SVT replaced the Cobra’s 5.0 L V8 with an SVT modified version of Ford’s 5.8 liter Windsor V8, re-engineered to produce 300 horsepower (220 kW) and installed a 22 gallon fuel cell. To handle the torque of the more powerful engine, a Tremec 3550 5-speed manual transmission was installed. See also 5-speed T-5 manual. Again, weight-savings was targeted, so there was no back seat, radio, power windows/seats or air-conditioning—not even fog lights, which were omitted to provide ducts for getting cool air onto the front disk brakes. Heavy-duty progressive-rate springs, thicker stabilizer bars and a front strut tower brace helped improve handling on the racetrack. Only 250 vehicles were built, available only in white with saddle cloth interior, each with a unique center-tiered fiberglass hood tall enough to clear the engine and induction system.

As with the '93R, only owners of a valid racing license were able to obtain one of these cars.

---