By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, eBay

Wrecks like this poor Superformance MkIII roadster on eBay are the unfortunate side of the automotive hobby. Sometimes an overzealous right foot can get you into trouble, especially with a 427-ci mill powering a roadster with a short wheelbase. Fortunately, it seems like no one was injured in this incident, not counting a bruised ego, but an undoubtedly treasured Cobra roadster was written off on insurance. But the car’s not a total loss per se, and the seller claims that the car does run and can be repaired. For us, that begs the question, would you gamble on this wrecked Superformance 427? And would you dare to put up $25,000 for it?

Presumably not the driver, the eBay seller has little to offer on the fate that befell the Cobra roadster, but remains confident on its condition and value. “I was told it spun out,” says the seller, but it was clearly a bit more than a simple stomp of the throttle at a traffic light. Is a rollover out of the question? Not entirely, but the relatively unscathed hood suggests the car was not overturned.

The fiberglass bodywork is completely ransacked though, and there’s no front clip present except for the slightly scraped hood and a few bits and pieces. What’s more concerning is that all the fiberglass down the sides and rear of the car are also peeled away, suggesting that the car spun several times and intersected more than one stationary object. Look closely at the wheels and you’ll see that they’re also pretty torn up, with disfigured lips and maimed knock offs.

However, things are not always as they seem, and this car isn’t quite as wrecked as it initially looks. Most of the inner body structure, which attaches to the chassis and supports the exterior bodywork, appears to be intact. This would suggest that the car has not experienced any chassis damage, but a close inspection of all-four corners would be necessary to affirm that. Furthermore, it appears that much of the exterior fiberglass was cut off the car with a saw, possibly to closer evaluate the extent of the damage.

It would take a real Superformance veteran to positively identify the amount of work needed to bring the MkIII back to life. There are definitely come quality parts in the rolling chassis, including s Roush 427 with aluminum cylinder heads, Wilwood brakes and a host of Smiths Cobra gauges. All these parts would have to evaluated though, as it’s obvious the car has spent time outdoors since the wreck.

Is $25,000 out of the question for the thrashed MkIII, probably not to the right person. For the average guy, I think that price is right in the middle, where it’s too much for a wrecked car, but it’s still a substantial jump to buy a new roller or used turnkey for $60,000-$70,000. So there's my take, decisively inconclusive, but if you're a Superformance specialist, give your thoughts in the comments below.

See the Superformance MkIII on eBay here.