Weakening Dollar

[pmjt]

Philip, I actually think Australia pips the UK in terms of the highest prices.

Recent changes in the law have helped (we now can drive LHD cars here, as long as they are over 30 years old, and only now don't have to have a banner across the back window saying "warning Left Hand Drive".) So we are seeing a few more (and I just brought one in recently from LA).

Currency swings both ways of course.
But IMO dry climates will be more attractive for these cars .. it is just very hard to live with de-misters, fog and salty roads for 6 months ...

You're absolutley right about the lousy weather in the UK meaning all fun stops for five or six months - all my babies are locked up in a dehumidified, heated garage until March at the earliest - it's the salt that's the killer.

Wasn't aware Aus paid so highly for cars. I have a couple of colleagues in NZ and they were paying potatoe chips for Japanese imports - but anything European was a 150% mark up on import

Philip

[james]

Targas exhibit roughly a $1,500 higher premium over a coupe depending on whose numbers you use.

Tom

In the UK Coupes are valued higher than Targa's

[platas]

also in spain, i have not sold a targa never here.
I am in the main house today, zuffenhausen

[Speedy E]

Looking at this from an Australian point of view, our dollar has been strengthening steadily against your US. Your cars are getting cheaper for us. Unfortunately we get HAMMERED by our federal government on taxes. Right now we are around 77 cents, but only 4 years ago were trading at 55 cents, ouch!

[fourteenten]

Good for us, because we want those RS's back!

Cees

Just curious, will Porsche raise the new parts prices as well? Otherwise it might be interesting for us the buy more parts in the States...

[gmund1948]

While I am still waiting to bring one of my cars over, I see there are great
Cars in Europe, and TUV requirements such as Lights, Std Brake lines, Hazards, Lights and certain other Oddities, etc. etc. R Gruppe Cars are tough to bring street legal importing.

Remember that it is now $2500 Freight RORO (not container from LA to
Europe,

Then Import duties 6-10 %

In Germany GSales Tax is 17% soon to be 20% Jan 1

Tuv Inspection is not usually cheap and if there is any rust
the repair costs are Oh my !!

Insurance costs are comparable with the US collector wise

Gas is US equivilent of $6.50 a Gallon

So we are lucky in the US, the above costs eat up the difference of the Dollar Euro advantage unless there are some dummied receipts to save some money for the Europeans.

The weather is more kind to coupes, than Targas but the Germans love Top down motoring so I think coupes and Targas (except Sunroof coupes and Soft windows) are equal Check out Mobile.de and those prices include the 17 soon to be 20 percent taxes.

Dont get me wrong, John, your level of cars are sought after, as are solid restoration projects. Unfortunately the Europeans have been burned by
rust free american cars one too many times.

Keep in mind that a new Corvette costs 60K euro for what I can buy Stateside for $42K US (33K Euro) Cars are status and so few good examples are ever for sale at a given time.

I can Sell my 05 Mustang Convertable for about what I paid for it a year ago
because Ford does not export them.

Mercedes ML320 Diesels are more in Euros, by almost 20% than we can buy with a better warranty with in the US (Europe 2 years ) US 4

Being a Department of Defense employee I am exempt of many of those rules
but if a German buys one of my cars, the extra costs kick in. Mercedes will
reprimand a dealer if they find them selling to an exporter.

Long rant, but this is what I see, large market with a lot of old money I do wonder what my barn find 73E is worth here sometimes.


I cant wait until the Powerhouse of China and India decide they want
older classic collectable cars


Gute Fahrt from Germany

Randy