Revology Cars to reveal the first Mustang and Shelby replica production cars at Amelia Island Concours

Orlando, FL – It’s time for Mustang fans everywhere to celebrate as the world’s first Mustang replicas are rolling off the assembly line at Revology Cars.

Just one year after Revology Cars revealed its Ford Mustang replica concept at the 2015 Amelia Island Concours, the company is back at the same famous venue with two stunning production examples, a 1966 Mustang GT convertible and a 1966 Shelby GT350H.

Revology Cars first wowed Mustang lovers and the world’s press last year when it unveiled its 1966 Mustang convertible replica concept. The droptop looked like a beautifully restored 1966 Ford Mustang, but was actually a new car, featuring a modern powertrain, chassis, brakes, electrical, and comfort and convenience features.

The Revology concept grabbed the attention of newspapers, magazine and TV stations around the globe. Media coverage reflected the car’s broad appeal to young and old alike, but above all, to baby boomers enamored with the idea of driving a new “old” Mustang, with modern performance, reliability, comfort, fuel economy, and improved safety and emissions.

“We knew we were on to something when we saw the response at Amelia Island,” says Tom Scarpello, Revology’s founder and president. “This is one of the pre-eminent concours events in the world, with some of the most valuable and rare cars anywhere, but even with all of that exotic hardware around us, our show stand was literally jam-packed all weekend.”

Immediately the Revology Cars team firmed up its plans to go into low volume series production. Back at Revology’s Orlando, FL, offices, the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the concept car had dramatic consequences. The company’s launch video went viral, the website crashed from the traffic, and the team fielded calls from clients who had seen the coverage and wanted to buy a car, immediately.

Buoyed by the enthusiastic response, Revology moved into a larger manufacturing facility last summer, and has increased its staff to 12 full-time employees, who are now building production Revology Mustangs in an air-conditioned, brightly-lit factory on the west side of Orlando.

The team is working flat out to meet customer demand, with an order bank that already will keep Revology busy into next fall. Scarpello says that in spite of the pace of change over the past year, the launch timing is right on target. “Last year, we said we would be able to deliver completed cars in Spring 2016. Our first production car will be delivered this month, so we achieved our objective.”

Feedback from early customers reflects how the powerful appeal of Revology Cars’ concept has made its mark. One example is Mark Pieloch, an avid car collector based in nearby Melbourne, Florida, and one of Revology’s first customers. “I visited Revology Cars a few weeks after the Amelia Island debut. I was extremely impressed by what I saw, so much so that I ended up ordering two cars. As a collector, I know what it takes to build a car to this level. What Revology is doing is unique in the marketplace today.” Mr. Pieloch’s cars, a Tahoe Turquoise ’66 Mustang GT convertible replica, and a ’66 Shelby GT350H replica, will be on display at Amelia Island.

Prior to starting Revology Cars two years ago, Tom Scarpello developed the concept for the business while holding executive posts at Nissan Infiniti, Ford, and Jaguar. “I have been tinkering with new tech in old cars for over 20 years. Back then, people thought I was nuts to tear apart a classic car to install modern features. It was always about keeping things original,” says Scarpello. “But times have changed. Consumers’ expectations have changed. Today, people want a modern driving experience, with the character and style of a classic.

“This is why ‘heritage cars’, like the Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, Beetle, 370Z, Mini, and others, are so popular. Revology just takes that formula to the next level. Our cars aren’t reminiscent of the original Mustang, they ARE the original Mustang, albeit with modern performance, reliability, and creature comforts.”

Scarpello is emphatic that his cars are not garage queens. “The Revology Mustang is gorgeous to look at, but it is built to be driven. Our clients drive their cars.”

As Revology Cars was ramping up production of its Mustang replica last fall, the company gained further credibility when it was granted an official license to build Shelby Mustang replicas by Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc., the company founded by Carroll Shelby.

Revology is one of only three companies worldwide that hold such a license from the iconic company. “We think what Revology Cars is doing is fresh and innovative,” says M. Neil Cummings, Co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International, Inc. and CEO of Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. “We like that they leverage modern technology to make significant functional improvements, while at the same time remaining faithful to the original Shelby design aesthetic.”

Scarpello and his team have learned what customers want from their concept car reveal last year, and have applied those learnings to their production cars. “We have added a lot of equipment and features to the base specification, as well as several options,” says Scarpello. “Our standard engine, with 430hp, has approximately double the power of the highest performance engine available in 1966. But here is what is really amazing; it qualifies as ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle).” Remarkably, the reduction in emissions from the 1960s to the present is such an order of magnitude that the modern engine emits less than half of one percent of the pollutants of the original 1960s-era V8. “This means if we put 200 Revology Mustangs in a warehouse and started them all up at the same time, they collectively would emit fewer emissions than ONE original 1966 Mustang. Furthermore, our engine has better reliability, better drivability, and better fuel economy, it is all aluminum, so it is much lighter and thus provides better weight distribution than the original cast iron V8, and of course it is brand-new, with a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty.”

Other upgrades made between concept and production include a double wishbone front suspension, for improved ride and handling; retuned power assisted rack and pinion steering, 4-wheel disc brakes with available 6-piston calipers clamping 12.88” ventilated and slotted rotors, an electronic parking brake, a fully integrated HVAC system with electronic microprocessor control servomotor drives, multiplex wiring harness, available navigation, reverse camera, SiriusXM, voice recognition, smartphone-activated remote start and remote windows up/down. Interior appointments have been upgraded, with leather seating surfaces and leatherette-wrapped interior trim as standard.

Despite adding all of these features and equipment, Revology kept the base price of the production car reasonably close to the price announced last year. The 1965-66 Mustang 2+2 replica starts at $129,750, the convertible at $132,250, and the Shelby GT350 at $153,450. While the base price of $129,750 may appear expensive at first glance, knowledgeable enthusiasts would recognize for a hand-built automobile built to this level of craftsmanship, the car is bargain. Scarpello adds: “I am amused when people say they can re-create what we’re doing for less money. I enthusiastically welcome them to do so. Let’s see it.”

Revology is ramping up its production capacity and expects to reach a line speed of two cars per month by this summer. From start to finish, it takes 24 weeks to build a Revology Mustang. As impressive as that is, the team is planning to reduce the time to 16 weeks. How do they do it? “Certainly, the economics of volume production are in our favor,” says Nathan Loucks, Revology’s production manager. “We presently build only the first generation Mustang 2+2 and convertible, in base, GT, and Shelby specification. We have three engines, three transmissions, two suspensions, two brake packages. By building repeatedly the same basic combinations, we can be very efficient and improve quality at the same time. Our team has become experts in every aspect of assembly of this model, because this is what they do, all day, every day.”

The development cost of the Revology Mustang program is amortized over many units, which allows the company to recoup the significant investment required to create a car that runs and drives as well as it looks. “You see the paint quality, the way the panels line up, the richness of the interior,” says Loucks. “You don’t see the hard work on vehicle integration, which was necessary to make all of the modern technology work properly within the vintage architecture.”

Revology has also achieved better quality and improved efficiency through close collaboration with its suppliers. The same way that OEMs like Ford and GM rely on their suppliers to provide key component technologies, Revology has developed with its key suppliers unique component specifications ideally matched to its application. Working with some of the industry’s top aftermarket companies, including Borla, Currie, Roush, Vintage Air, Wilwood, and many others, Revology has developed a unique set of components that are designed to work together in harmony, ensuring not only OEM levels of reliability and durability, but also parts and service support in the field.

Revology and other replica manufacturers received a major boost late last year in the form of new federal legislation that will permit low volume car manufacturers to produce turn-key replica vehicles for customers nationwide. This is significant, because previously, replica vehicles fell into a “gray area” that was handled by the states in many different ways. This was confusing, inefficient, and costly for consumers. The federal low volume manufacturer provision establishes a separate regulatory structure within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for replica car manufacturers. To comply, replica manufacturers must fit their vehicles with current model, emissions-certified engines. Revology already has such an engine in production, although it is not what you might expect. The company uses the LS3 E-ROD™ engine, which is a 430hp 6.2L electronically fuel injected V8 originally designed for the Chevrolet Corvette, to meet the regulation. Why offer a GM engine in a car designed to replicate the iconic Mustang? Scarpello admits that purists haven’t exactly embraced the idea, but says that the company needed a fully emissions-certified solution to meet the new federal regulations. “The E-ROD is presently the only solution on the market. As soon as Ford brings to market an emissions certified powertrain solution, we’ll make it available.”

Revology plans to produce other models, including later versions of the iconic Mustang as well as models from GM and/or other companies, although the company has not yet released details on what might be next. For now, Scarpello is content to focus on getting ‘65-66 Mustang replica production rolling. The low volume manufacturer provision allows replica manufacturers to construct up to 325 replica cars per year. Are those figures achievable? Says Scarpello, “We think so. Even at that level, it is a micro-niche. Ford sells more new Mustangs than that every day in the US. But, while the new Mustang pays homage to the original Mustang aesthetically, the Revology Mustang is dimensionally identical to it. For some, that is a compelling proposition.”

Photos:https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1x5klvlyzpe3tyd/AABMNa6JGdFp2mkmjsKetRDHa?dl=0

For further information contact: John McCormick. Email: john@revologycars.com Tel: (734) 604-4768