Not sure I agree with all of these postings. I think that the bottom line
is, as always, supply and demand. "Pre-owned cars" are cheap or expensive,
depending upon the marque and where one is. I live in Germany and I see
"cheap" Porsches advertised almost daily (condition is in the eyes of the
beholder). I see many Porsche 928 and 924s on the road daily, they are
common (my favorite is still a 911 Turbo Carrera). Don't see any LBCs at
all, except mine. Maybe that is why MGBs are advertised for DM 20,000 to DM
30,000 (U.S. $ 11,000 to $ 17,000, condition is in the eyes of the
beholder). Go figure. I just don't think it's exchange rates only.
"Jay"
John S. van Syckel
1971 MGB (BRG, no PO)
MG Car Club Deutschland, e.V.
AMGBA # 78-568
> ----------
> From:
> mmcewen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca[SMTP:mmcewen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca]
> Sent: Dienstag, 24. März 1998 20:58
> To: palte@rt.el.utwente.nl
> Cc: mgs@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Weak Deutschmark??? Was: Cyl Head
>
> Hi Bert:
>
> The DM has fallen considerably against the US and Cdn. dollars. At one
> point we were paying $1.25 Cdn. for 1 DM. The current price is .80 cents
> and falling. The Pound Sterling however is incredibly strong and the
> purchase of things from Britain is now just a bad joke for us. The
> current
> price of the pound is $2.41.
>
> We see an enormous difference in prices especially in cars and
> motorcycles
> as advertised in Britain vs. their cost in Canada. A close comparison in
> terms of price for us may be made by assuming that Canadian prices are the
> same in dollars as British prices are in pounds. Thus a given car
> advertised for
> £5,000 in Britain could be purchased in Canada for $5,000 Cdn. I don't
> have an explanation for this very great disparity as the pound's cost in
> dollars has not changed much over the years, however what it buys has
> decreased greatly.
>
> John McEwen
>
> >Phil commented:
> >
> ><snip>
> >
> >> The good news for the rest of Europe
> >>is that the (..). weak Mark,
> >
> >????????????????????????
> >
> >This is probably a mistake, Phil.
> >
> >The Deutschmark is NOT weak, perhaps it seems to you that way,
> >but probably more important to you, your own currency (British Pound)
> >has risen very strongly over the last couple of years (like the Italian
> >Lira, by the way).
> >
> >So it probably just seems that way if you are in Britain.
> >
> >
> >> are making secondhand
> >>cars in Germany VERY cheap. People in the UK are popping over to Germany
> >>to pick up Porsches at rockbottom prices. OK, they're lhd but so what?
> >
> >
> >This is DEFINITELY true, I've noticed that also when I am in Germany.
> >(My job brings me on a regular basis in Germany and Italy and I'm always
> >looking for, ehhh... 'interesting' cars.)
> >
> >Secondhand Porsches are now very cheap in Germany.
> >
> >The reason is in some recent changes in the German car taxation system,
> >making ALL
> >cars that have NOT been equipped with a catalytic converter (i.e pre-
> 1987
> >or something, for Germany)
> >[more expensive to keep and therefore] very unattractive to keep, when
> you
> >live in Germany.
> >This lowers their resale price.
> >
> >
> >Personally, I've been looking into Porsches 924 and 928 (ca. 1985-87)
> >[druel, druel] and these can be had for as little as
> >$ 5000 - $ 8000 when bought at a dealer outlet (not the cheapest place
> to
> >buy a secondhand car, but definitively one of the safest...)
> >
> >Especially the 928 were VERY expensive when new!
> >
> >
> >BTW I was in Italy only a few weeks ago and you hardly ever see any MGs
> over
> >there!
> >(mandatory LBC content)
> >
> >
> >
> >Bert
> >
> >(whose currency, the Dutch guilder, is as strong as the Deutschmark)
>
>
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