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From: alien@gcc-opus.ARPA (Alien Wells)
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.consumers
Subject: Re: cars in Europe
Message-ID: <151@gcc-opus.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 29-Nov-84 11:35:58 EST
Article-I.D.: gcc-opus.151
Posted: Thu Nov 29 11:35:58 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Dec-84 19:18:12 EST
References: <133@ur-cvsvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: alien@gcc-opus.UUCP (Alien Wells)
Distribution: net
Organization: General Computer Company, Cambridge Ma (creators of Ms. Pacman)
Lines: 63
Xref: genrad net.auto:5365 net.consumers:1537
Summary: 

In article <133@ur-cvsvax.UUCP> gary@ur-cvsvax.UUCP (Gary Sclar) writes:
>A friend of mine just returned from Europe and had nothing but praise for
>the rental car she rode around in. These cars are apparently smaller &
>cheaper then those sold in the U.S., but sturdier, economical to run, and
>very sound mechanically. Is all of this true, can these models be had in
>the U.S. (or is the installation of emissions control equipment too costly)
>and what are the most popular small cars in Europe and their
>characteristics.

When I lived in Germany, I noticed the same thing, there were many very good
cars there that I had never seen (some with the label Ford!).

There are a number of things that have to be done to a car to sell it in the
US:
	- meet US emission standards
	- meet US safety standards
	- meet US random regulations (lights, tires, etc, etc, etc)
	- get approval from US regulatory agencies
	- pay US import taxes
I think you can easily see that a company is not likely to do all this unless
they plan to see a lot of units of that particular model.  Furthermore, the
car isn't the same after all the redesign that is necessary.

For example, look at the performance difference between an American Rabbit GTI
and the European version.  I don't have the stats, but there is something like
a 50% horsepower increase in the European version.

Another example, when I was in Germany one of the more popular cars is something
I call the Citroen Bug.  Despite its reputation as a sport car company, their
low end entry looked like a VW bug with all the seams on the outside.  The car
wasn't much to look at, and it performed like shit, but it was CHEAP!  Why
didn't it come into the US?  Well, the fact that it had tires half the width
of normal cars that fell off at the slightest excuse might have had something
to do with it.  The lack of emission controls might also have been a factor.
By the time it got to the US, it wouldn't have been cheap any more.

Another interesting factor is image.  For instance, Mercedes does not have the
image in Europe that it does here, it is sort of seen as more of a GM.  They
sell all sorts of cars and trucks, most of them pretty down-scale.  Will they
ever import the low end cars to the US?  Hardly!  How many people would spend
outrageous bucks for a Mercedes if they were also competing with VW and Chevy?

By the way, most Japanese cars do not make it to the US either.  I was in
Bermuda on my honeymoon in September, and it was amazing how many Japanese
cars I saw there.  Also note that these were all the British 'wrong-side' cars
too!  If the Japanese are willing to go to the effort to make special cars for
England, they would certainly be willing to do it for the US!  Of course,
there are those import quotas and regulations ...

Some of the cars I saw in Bermuda:
	Minivans by:
		Nissan
		Mitsubishi (one was at least 5 years old!)
		Daihitsu
	Pick-ups and Flat Beds by every major Japanese manufacturer except Honda
	More small cars models I haven't seen than you could shake a stick at
An interesting note is that the most popular car maker in Bermuda seemed to be
Mitsubishi.  Even the police cars were Mitsubishis (in a model called the
Lancer!).

Oh, well.  Enough for now.

					Alien