>>>>>>>>>>So they called it 'voluntary export restraint' instead. Whilst it was in force it surely gave non-U.S. based manufacturers a big incentive to being production in the U.S. ?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Could you produce any proof, or even mention, of 'voluntary export restraint' exercised by Germany or Korea in regard to exports to USA?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>My original reply was specific to Japanese manufacturers (as was the post I replied to). Don't know about Germany (but I imagine their production costs in the U.S. are no higher that their costs in Europe so that's incentive enough). It looks as if Korea already pays an import tarriff:
>>>>>>>>http://www.aiaglobal.org/OurOrganization/LatestNews/USKoreaFreeTradeAgreementWouldBenefitImportAftermarket.aspx
>>>>>>>>Snip:
>>>>>>>>If passed by Congress, the U.S. would immediately eliminate 2.5 percent tariffs on South Korean-made smaller vehicles (engine sizes of 3,000 cc or less), as well as tariffs on all South Korean auto parts (currently averaging 2.5 percent). Within three years of entry into force of the agreement, the U.S. will eliminate tariffs on cars with larger engines and the 25 percent U.S. tariff on light trucks will be phased out over 10 years. Under the agreement, South Korean vehicle and parts exports to the U.S. would gain significant advantages over Japanese and European nameplate imports.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>25% on larger cars & light trucks !
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Yeah, 'cuz the Japanese did those ever so much better the US auto makers did when they first started coming over. IIRC, Datsun (now Nissan) was one of the first to introduce the baby truck to the US
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I think the Japanese do them all better - but the U.S. car industry doesn't have anything to compete with the smaller cars so they don't lose sales there......
>>>>>
>>>>>We still make the Corvette. The Japanese sure don't do that better. (And neither does anyone else in remotely the same price class).
>>>>
>>>>Not sure I'd call the Corvette a 'small' car? But there was a favourable (from the petrol-head viewpoint) review of the latest in one of our Sunday papers recently. In my youth I had a '70's Firebird convertible for a while, followed by a Camaro. They looked 'flash', had lots of power, but were both in fact horrible to drive on European roads. Pretty much put me off american cars for life :-{
>>>
>>>I was responding to "I think the Japanese do them all better."
>>>
>>>European roads are different, agreed. Well, English and Irish ones, anyway, which are the only ones I have been on. Your motorways are very nice, at least once you get far enough away from London that they aren't mired in traffic jams. For a while I was driving between Manchester and Leeds once or twice a week and everyone was booking. If you were going less than 120 km/hr you were likely to be run off the road.
>>
>>I don't think anyone regards driving in the U.K. as a 'pleasure' any more. Bits of Wales, most of Scotland maybe. To be honest I've lost interest in cars - I just buy an old banger, run it into the ground, and then get another one.....
>>
>>Best,
>>Viv
>
>We should arrange a meeting between you and my ex-wife! LOL. She had an old beater (banger) when we met and drove it into the ground to the point that it literally wouldn't run any more. She had to pay someone to haul it away. The new bane of my existence is the 1999 minivan she gave to our daughter this fall, when she bought a new car. It has nearly 200,000 miles on it and has already cost me over $1000 in repair bills.

If I see a quote for more than, say, £100 for repairs/maintence I scrap it. The last car I had (a Subaru) was bought to £200, driven for a couple of years and I then got £120 for it as scrap. The car I've got now cost less than my bicycle...

And the last time in, the mechanic (who I trust) said those brakes are getting pretty worn, too. I have not had direct experience with a vehicle like this before -- the 55,000 miles on the Jetta I have now is the most I have ever accumulated -- so don't know where the line is between continuing to repair it and firing a couple of shotgun shells into the engine block.

I don't usually buy one with less that 100,000 miles on the clock and figure it will be good for about 160K....