Kirkham Motorsports was founded in 1995 by brothers David and Thomas Kirkham with the shared goal of creating the world’s finest replica cars.
The two were working to restore their own Cobra CSX3104 when they learned that a relative had purchased and restored a Polish fighter jet. Reportedly after seeing the Cold War relic, the two inquired about the possibility of working with the craftsmen who built the plane to build an exact replica of a Cobra.
They contacted the former jet manufacturer and learned that such a partnership was, in fact, a very real possibility.
With a Cobra toy replica in hand, David Kirkham flew to Warsaw, Poland where he spent a week at the plant, which had produced aircraft for more than 60 years.
Enthused about the three generations of skilled craftsman he met, Kirkham forged an agreement for the manufacturing of the cars and since that 1997 trip, Kirkham Motorsports has become one of the leading manufacturers in the component car industry.
Today, all roadsters produced by Kirkham Motorsports first take shape in the Polish aircraft jet factory that once produced Soviet mach 2 jets.
It is through this initial process that the highly skilled Polish craftsman fabricate tubular steel frames, which are then wrapped in handcrafted aluminum skins. These tubular frames are TIG-welded (a slower, more complex welding process than MIG welding or arc welding and requires significantly more skill) in a jig, providing additional accuracy, surpassing that of the original car.
Additionally, the frames are round-tube, ladder design, just like the original, but boast more strength then the originals, thanks to the car’s improved tubing, which now comes standard with 4” round 0.120" wall DOM main frame rails. (The original 427's were made with thinner 0.090" wall tubing, which prompted some complaints that the frame sagged after time because of the thinner frame tubes).
Once this process is complete, the frame is shipped to the US where the old-world craftsmanship is met with cutting edge manufacturing technology, producing spectacular results.
