I agree with Jay, after spending many years staioned in Germany and West
Berlin I would say that the price one pays for a used car is more in line
with the supply and demand than the exchange rate. Most of my fellow
soldiers purchased used opels and fords as they were very common and tended
to be inexpensive. They were also easy and cheap to repair. In some 11
years I spent sationed in Germany I only recall seeing 3 MGB's, the 1971 I
purchased from another soldier in 1978, the MG (year unknown) owned by a
friend circa 1978 and a 73 or 74 B that was owned by a soldier staioned in
Bamberg circa 1990. So.....
Safety Fast!!
Ross Overcash, 74B, NAMGBR 2-1172, Ayer, MA
http://www.tiac.net/users/jroverca/index.htm
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-mgs@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-mgs@autox.team.net]On
> Behalf Of EPMD- van syckel, John
> Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 1998 2:14 AM
> To: palte@rt.el.utwente.nl; mmcewen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca
> Cc: mgs@autox.team.net
> Subject: RE: Weak Deutschmark??? Was: Cyl Head
>
>
> 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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