Pound Down -Car Prices Up.

[Dryce]

We can still decide our own interest rate policy - part of the current eurozone problem is that different econmoies are in different shapes and need varying interest rates to deal with their own situations - it could implode because of this over the next few months. Not sure if that is good or bad.

It's probably bad if it implodes!

I think what would happen is different. Some countries - eg. Ireland, Portugal, Greece, possibly Spain may come under significant pressure within the Eurozone. Rather than implode I think we would see these countries struggle to stay within it. The solution is not necessarily to let them go but to integrate government finances more tightly within the Eurozone with governments giving up even more fiscal sovereignty - in terms of tax raising, spending, and regulation to a greater federal Europe.

 

[RoseTattoo]

I have a colleague living in Germany,admittedly a Brit, who has been over to UK looking at new cars with a view to ordering one. The Audi delaer he visited said he had had a lot of enquiries.

 

[Deadhead]

Either the pound recovers or we shall see a nasty rise in car prices and spares. As the night follows day. Only the timing is in doubt.

My W203 is coming up for 3 years old, just over 60,000 miles and the HP is almost paid off. In previous times I would have been looking to replace it. But I've been thinking seriously about keeping my money in my pockets for a while. Maybe I should think again before prices rocket.

 

[crockers]

It's probably bad if it implodes!

I think what would happen is different. Some countries - eg. Ireland, Portugal, Greece, possibly Spain may come under significant pressure within the Eurozone. Rather than implode I think we would see these countries struggle to stay within it. The solution is not necessarily to let them go but to integrate government finances more tightly within the Eurozone with governments giving up even more fiscal sovereignty - in terms of tax raising, spending, and regulation to a greater federal Europe.

Portugal, Greece and Spain has had their Govt Bonds downgraded - so are more likely to default - if they hadn't been in the Euro their currency would have been pulverized. Ireland is on "watch"....

I have a colleague living in Germany,admittedly a Brit, who has been over to UK looking at new cars with a view to ordering one. The Audi delaer he visited said he had had a lot of enquiries.

Do UK dealers sell LHD cars? With Kph speedos and lights set up for the continent? If so is there any premium?

Always strikes me as madness - ship a car from Germany to UK - sell it to then ship it back to make a saving?

I bought my wife's CRV from a dealer in Leicester who bought it in from Holland - saved me £000's.....The car was made 10 miles from where I live...madness

 

[Smiley]

It's probably bad if it implodes!

I think what would happen is different. Some countries - eg. Ireland, Portugal, Greece, possibly Spain may come under significant pressure within the Eurozone. Rather than implode I think we would see these countries struggle to stay within it. The solution is not necessarily to let them go but to integrate government finances more tightly within the Eurozone with governments giving up even more fiscal sovereignty - in terms of tax raising, spending, and regulation to a greater federal Europe.

You may be right - my scepticism over this approach is that those same countries will be under pressure from their own citizens to "do something" to help ease unemployment problems - and this will lead to a more localised view about employment rather than "pulling together as one united Europe".

 

[Smiley]

Portugal, Greece and Spain has had their Govt Bonds downgraded - so are more likely to default - if they hadn't been in the Euro their currency would have been pulverized. Ireland is on "watch"....



Do UK dealers sell LHD cars? With Kph speedos and lights set up for the continent? If so is there any premium?

Always strikes me as madness - ship a car from Germany to UK - sell it to then ship it back to make a saving?

I bought my wife's CRV from a dealer in Leicester who bought it in from Holland - saved me £000's.....The car was made 10 miles from where I live...madness

did you buy the CRV recently - I thought these savings had all but disappeared?

 

[st13phil]

Portugal, Greece and Spain has had their Govt Bonds downgraded - so are more likely to default - if they hadn't been in the Euro their currency would have been pulverized. Ireland is on "watch"....

I thought Italy was one of the P.I.G.S. and in the group that was "at risk"?

What we are witnessing at the moment, and for the foreseeable future, is a massive test of the "European Single Currency Experiment". One only has to look west to the USA to see the effect that a single currency has on a group of disparate economies that wax and wane at different rates. There has already been talk that at least one of the P.I.G.S. will be forced to exit the Euro to save its economy.

 

[hawk20]

Portugal, Greece and Spain has had their Govt Bonds downgraded - so are more likely to default - if they hadn't been in the Euro their currency would have been pulverized. Ireland is on "watch"....



Do UK dealers sell LHD cars? With Kph speedos and lights set up for the continent? If so is there any premium?

Always strikes me as madness - ship a car from Germany to UK - sell it to then ship it back to make a saving?

I bought my wife's CRV from a dealer in Leicester who bought it in from Holland - saved me £000's.....The car was made 10 miles from where I live...madness

That is why in the end prices get roughly equalised across the free trade area we call the EU.

And yes, by law Europeans can order a LHD car from any dealer they like in the EU. Just as many Brits used to order RHD cars from Belgium, France etc wherever the price was most advantageous.

Usually firms are set up to do all the paperwork and importing for customers. So you deal with a firm in UK and they deal with Belgium, say. So now it will be French importers buying LHD cars from UK dealers as the prices are 30% less here on some brands -including MB.

 

[The Dent Guy]

Used Prices On The Up !!??

I hear from various sources that trade prices for used cars (probably the more practical cars) are well and truly on the up. Anyone out there in the trade who can clarify if this is so?