Auburn Custom Speedster 2 + 2, Green, for sale in Charlotte, North Carolina, for $57,995.

Next to the Shelby Cobra, perhaps the most copied car ever created is the Auburn boattail speedster of the mid-1930s. The Ferraris of their day, they came with a dash plaque that certifies that the car had been driven over 100 MPH before delivery. Even in 1935 they were serious about their performance.

Years later, the price of those rare original speedsters shot up, and they're trading today for about half a million bucks. So what's a guy who doesn't have a trust fund to do?

Behold this replica speedster. Faithfully duplicating the original's stunning lines, with a slight stretch to allow for a back seat the original never carried, it is a one car parade that will draw a crowd anywhere you go. Like the Cobra guys, you'll probably have to get used to everyone asking, Is it a real one? but you'll get over it once you see how amazing it looks in person. Unlike many replicas, the details are highly accurate, from the pontoon-style fenders to the cool exposed exhaust that was functional on the originals. Finished in dark green, it manages to look sporty yet elegant, perhaps due to the fitted trunk out back or formal top, although once you drive this car, you'll never put the top up again. As someone who considers himself somewhat of an expert on these cars, I'm thoroughly shocked by how good it really looks. You can drive this one with pride.

I think the big reason the replicas were so popular is because they offered today's luxury features with the look of the '30s. Sure the originals are cool, but they can be cranky, they don't have radios, and climate control is limited to whatever's coming in around the windshield. This one cossets you in green leather that looks authentic. No modern buckets, no late-model console, just a split bench that has a very nice patina. Engine turning was big in the '30s, and it always spelled high-performance, and this car faithfully captures that spirit with an array of analog gauges, and again, it's easy to squint and be back in 1935. Only an AM/FM/cassette radio spoils the illusion, but at least it carries a replica of the placard from land speed record holder Ab Jenkins certifying the car's top speed abilities.

Underneath, it appears to be a big, early-80s Ford or Lincoln product and is titled as a 1982. It offers a mammoth 460 and a silky smooth automatic transmission. The engine is nicely detailed, with Ford Blue paint, a touch of chrome on the air cleaners and valve covers, and, of course, those pipes. The suspension is modern, too, with an independent setup up front and a Ford rear out back, and power disc brakes. A beautifully fabricated stainless exhaust system gives it a hushed sound, and it rides on gorgeous chrome wire wheels with whitewall tires.

If you're tired of the same garden-variety toys this summer, this Auburn deserves a second look. Call today!