whats a clone?
According to Merriam Webster online one definition of a clone is :
"One that appears to be a copy of an original form."
So clone doesnt necessarily mean "exact".
We all need to keep something in mind:
The value on ANYTHING is only as high as "someone" wants to pay.
Back in the 80s you couldn't GIVE these cars away, even the "more desireable cars of today".
There are so many nuances and levels you can go to.
I dont consider a ground up rotisserie, using all the right paint daubs etc "original" at all. I dont car if its a hemi cuda or that old dart that appeared in the Mopar Action mag.
Its not original anymore, though its cool to look at.
"Original" is the "survivor" cars.....those cars, regardless of what model it is "should" hold the most value, since its a 40 year old car in ots original form except for maybe plugs and floor mats. They may have some rust under the hood or on the wheel wells.
Most of the rotisserie cars being done, when completed, are WAY better quality wise than the car was originally.
But the cars restored to "showroom condition"? They are not original anymore , period. The value is all artificial and will dry up when people stop wanting them. That is the only reason the value is high....people want them.
The "clone" is just another iteration, IMHO, of the same thing.....they are worth whatever people will pay for them. As fewer of the "real" cars are available, clones will draw more money because people LIKE the look, the engine, whatever. All the "real" cars will be tucked away in collections, undriven for the most part.
Except for the issue of selling something that isnt what someone claims it is, we shouldnt care if the cars our Mopar-family has are all original survivors, resto-mods, "clones", whatever. What matters is that we enjoy them.
I love looking at them all.....original/survivors, rotisseries, resto-mods, Barracuda-turned-Cudas, and every other iteration.....none of it takes away the joy I get looking at them all.
The grin I get on my face when I drive my 72 frankenstein car is PRICELESS though I probably have more into the car than it is "worth" compared to the cars currently getting high-dollar. So mine is worth the MOST!
