This is a brand new 2024 Factory Five Racing Mk4 Roadster built by the students of the Industrial Arts Therapy STEAM program. 100% of the proceeds from the sale will go directly to the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.
The Factory Five Mk4 Roadster is a modern interpretation of the classic Shelby Cobra. It benefits from a modern chassis, drivetrain, and braking system, with the added benefit that you can order it in kit form and build it in your garage if you so desire – it’s said to take about 300 hours.
Fast Facts – The Factory Five Mk4 Roadster
- This 2024 Factory Five Mk4 Roadster, assembled by students in the Industrial Arts Therapy STEAM program, is powered by a Ford Coyote 5.0 V8 paired with a Tremec TKX 5-speed transmission. It is offered for sale with all proceeds going to the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.
- The Factory Five Mk4 Roadster, a modern Shelby Cobra replica, features a modern chassis and drivetrain, with upgraded parts including an 8.8″ Moser rear axle and Wilwood brakes. The car’s components were sourced from industry leaders including as Ford, Tremec, and Detroit Steel Wheel Company.
- Since its founding in 1995, Factory Five Racing has grown into the world’s largest kit car company, known for models like the Daytona Coupe, GTM Supercar, and the best-selling Mk4 Roadster. Their kits allow enthusiasts to build high-performance cars with donor parts in a home garage.
- This unique Mk4 Roadster will be showcased at the Factory Five booth at SEMA 2024. It’s available for sale on Bring a Trailer out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, offering a distinctive build that combines modern engineering with classic Cobra styling for charity.
A History Speedrun: Factory Five Racing
Factory Five Racing, Inc. (F.F.R.), better known simply as Factory Five, is now by far the largest component car (kit car) company in the world. They don’t necessarily use the “kit car” description as it has been tarnished by countless fly-by-night operators over the years, and Factory Five is anything but.
The tubular steel chassis of the Factory Five Mk4 Roadster was developed in-house using state-of-the-art technology combined with decades of experience. Image courtesy of Factory Five Racing.Factory Five was founded by brothers Mark and David Smith in 1995 to build a new type of Shelby Cobra replica, based on the Fox Body Mustang of the era and retailing for a highly competitive $9,900 USD.
This kit would win the Best Buy Cobra Kit Award from Petersen Publishing in 1996, and a little later that year their 100th kit would ship out to a customer.
Five years later the company moved to a larger production facility to keep up with demand, and a year after this they launched the Factory Five Daytona Coupe. This new model quickly grew to become one of their best-selling kits.
In 2003 the Factory Five GTM Supercar was introduced at the 2003 SEMA show. This kit offered customers the chance to build a mid-engined supercar in their garage using donor parts from a Corvette. In 2004 the company shipped out their 4,000th Roadster, becoming the largest kit car manufacturer in the world.
By 2007 the 6,000th Roadster kit would leave the factory, and then in 2008 the Factory Five ’33 Hot Rod was released at SEMA. In 2013 the company would release Project 818, an ultra-lightweight kit built sports car with a curb weight of just 818 kgs (1,800 lbs).
The most recent release from Factory Five is the XTF Pre-Runner Truck. This is a kit that allows you to turn a 2015-2020 Ford F-150 into an off-road desert racer with a full tubular steel chassis and long travel suspension.
This car has been built to a high level, with Black Ice paintwork over Metallic Medium Blue leather upholstery, and a classic wood-rimmed steering wheel.Of all the cars developed and offered by Factory Five, the best seller has always been the Roadster, which is now in its fourth generation.
The Factory Five Mk4 Roadster
The vehicle you see in this article is a brand new 2024 Factory Five Racing Mk4 Roadster. It was built by the students of the Industrial Arts Therapy STEAM program, and it’s now being offered for sale with 0 miles on the odometer.
100% of the sale price will be paid directly to the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Over the last 16 years, the Austin Hatcher Foundation has provided comprehensive coordinated care to more than 90,000 children in 23 states and 42 children’s hospitals through mental and behavioral therapy, community-based health and education programs, and much more.
This Mk4 Roadster was built to a very high level, with parts and services provided by some of the biggest names in the business, including Factory Five Racing, Ford Motor Company, Tremec Corporation, Moser Engineering, Detroit Steel Wheel Company, Fully Loaded Interiors, Bose Audio, xcel Machine Technology, Lee Smith, and Tommy Lee Byrd photography.
The car is powered by a Ford Coyote 5.0 V8 which sends power back through a Tremec TKX 5-speed manual transmission and a Moser Engineering 8.8″ 3-link rear axle, with a chrome differential cover and a forged Panhard bar.
The brakes consist of Wilwood 6-piston caliper units on the front and Ford Mustang GT-sourced calipers and rotors in the rear. The car rides on Koni adjustable coilovers on all four corners, 18″ Detroit Steel wheels, and Michelin Pilot Sport tires.
This car was built by the students of the Industrial Arts Therapy STEAM program, and 100% of the sales proceeds will go to the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.The car is now being offered for sale on Bring a Trailer out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
It will debut at SEMA 2024 starting on November 5th, and will be available for viewing at the Factory Five booth. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
