Imperials outside U.S. - why so popular elsewhere? UK answer

["david munson" <davidmunson30@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Kenyon
I own a 63 convertible and have done for over 10 years I have just added a 
66 coupe to the list, my friend Les and his wife Pat own a 63 4 door h/top 
gas is £4.00 per gallon and the parts store is 6000 miles away but the 
Imperials will outdrive most other big American cars of similar vintage I 
very often go over 90 miles per hour in mine and bollocks to the speed limit 
(70) I'm obviously NUTS .

PS I also took it (63) around Silverstone race track often sideways chasing 
a 61 300 F coupe owned by Daimler Chrysler!!!!!!!!!!!


>From: kenyon wills <imperialist60@xxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: IML: Imperials outside U.S. - why so popular elsewhere?
>Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2002 09:06:26 -0700 (PDT)
>
>Two of the reasons (to my understanding) that older
>American cars are popular in Europe and elsewhere:
>
>1.  The laws there have historically resticted "current"
>cars from being registered as they age, especially in
>germany, with very strict tests that will fail a car with
>mechanical defects that would go unnoticed for years in the
>US such as dents, rust, cracked glass, or anything else
>amiss.  My German buddies really freaked out about the cars
>that they saw here with ropes and chains holding fenders,
>hoods, and exhaust pipes (or not) onto the car, not to
>mention the insurace settlement specials that cash out and
>never get fixed but stay on the road for 10 years after a
>crash with 20% of the body mangled.
>
>Some countries also have registration rates that rise
>exponentially with age (japan).  Porsche 356's are more
>common here in the US than in Germany, says some of my car
>buddies there, and they get re-imported back because the
>stock there was depleted.  This system protects the
>national automakers by making the cars that they sell
>unregisterable quickly, causing people to dispose of their
>cars earlier than americans might.  My understanding was
>that in Germany (where I lived for awhile), a 10 year-old
>car is a rarity, and 15 years or older is almost unheard
>of.  If you live in the US, do a survey of the cars that
>live near you, and you'll see an obvious age difference in
>the population of cars.
>
>This higher turnover rate is one reason that the photos of
>the middle east show so many German (and other) euro cars.
>They can't pass TUV (like smog test, but for the entire
>car) or get certified, and thus get dumped, & exported to
>countries that aren't so strict that don't have auto
>industries to protect.  This is where all of the first
>world's older, noiser airliners are going, too, so it's not
>just cars that take this path.
>
>2.  World war II left Europe without the industrial base
>that we had here, and a far fewer expensive, well made cars
>and disposable income were present.  Think about classic
>american cars vs classic euro cars.  There are a number of
>Euro cars from the period, but most are not "working man's
>cars" (12 cylinder Ferrarris and gull-winged Mercedes are
>not the same project or availability as an Imperial or
>Cadillac).  Couple that with item number 1, add in that
>there are people that are nutty about cars no matter where
>you go, and there you have a demand for Imperials and other
>american cars, especially under the circumstances where we
>don't value what we have.  My 1973 was very cheap and in
>great shape.  Why wouldn't someone elsewhere pay $1500 to
>ship it over if it's only a few thousand to buy?  I would.
>
>
>If you surveyed the american members of the Imeprial
>Mailing List,  how many would own Imperials or be in the
>classic car hobby if their expenses were tripled, and all
>Imperial parts were mainly overseas (and the cars used
>those funny "/-inch"  wrench sizes)?  I think that I would,
>but not so certain everyone would stick with such a niche
>car as opposed to somthing more regionally "available".  It
>takes an extra amount of energy and fever to go for an Imp
>where gas is $5 a gallon, taxes are high, certification is
>difficult, and there are no parts in the parts store down
>the street.
>
>Imperial Owners in other countries, my hat's off to you.
>
>
>
>=====
>Kenyon Wills
>6o LeBaron - America's Most Carefully Built Car
>73 LeBaron - Long Low & Luxurious
>
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