death of australian car industry - car prices...

[nathan]

so now we no longer have toyota, ford or holdens being made here anymore, does this mean the government will drop the horrendous tariffs we have on any car that isn't a POS.  WGB will correct me here but don't we pay 33% on any car over 70 grand or something? theoretically now the excuse to protect the local car industry no longer exists, they should drop this tax and see a substantial fall in european cars like Mercedes. Hopefully this means I may actually be able to afford a newer car that I want to drive...

[nathan]

1

[robertd]

Hi Nathan,


It would be unlikely for a government to give up a revenue stream they have already got in place, no matter what logic!

Will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

Rob

[giles]

Hi Nathan,


It would be unlikely for a government to give up a revenue stream they have already got in place, no matter what logic!

Will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

Rob

Can't see a Liberal Party dropping a tax than keeps the average person out of luxury cars.

Giles

[powerglide]

Hi Nathan,

Interesting topic.  Prices HAVE come down, but wholesalers are still gougeing.  A 911 that costs AUS200k ++ here still costs under USD100 in the US, but new C-Classe here today costs about AUD55k, and it's optioned-up (even a Classic).  You can buy a new 'plain Jane' C180 in Europe for about AUD35k equivalent.  There was an blog somewhere listing new car prices in the UK, US and AUS, revealing that only two makers weren't (at that time) gougeing - Hyundai and Mazda. Porsche, I think, was the worst offender.  The real issue, though, is the wholesalers hiding behind the so-called Australian design rules.  For example, the DB OEM DIN-standard child seat fittings are ILLEGAL in Australia! I know this because I tried to source one.  This reveals a completely stupid regulation based on the transparently false assumption that the DB equipment is not as 'safe' as the Aus-approved after-market (made in China). You are right in that local wholesalers are gougeing with protection from government regulation posing as Aus 'standards'.

Just for interest, prices for (really good) Holden Monaros of all three generations seem to have held up, and even crept up a bit over the last month since the GMH announcement.

[djenka018]

Nothing will change until plain Jane's aptitude for complaisance changes.

A lot of local consumer will pay ridiculous prices as long as monthly finance can be squeezed into budget. Focus on budget, nothing more. If it fits in the budget... who cares how bloated the price tag was.

I paid US$59 for headphones shipped from US (at the time US$=AU$) and exactly the same model with 1yr less warranty locally still cost AU$190.Today that difference is 2x, still ridiculous. No ADR or lux tax involved here.