America right or wrong

[C M Smith <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

Interesting responses my innocent little post provoked. There is a line 
from Hamlet apropos to this thread (using the term loosely)

the lady doth protest too much, I think....

rendered variously, but substantially accurate.

What I said:

Italy beat America in the Louis Vuitton Cup, earning the right to challenge 
for the America's Cup (a penny ante Victorian English Yachting Trophy 
elevated to a world competition essentially by the New York Yacht Club 
saying nyaa nyaa ne nyaa na to some stuffy misguided British Upper crust 
types who promptly spent tons of money proving the Americans built better 
yachts). America did not put it's best foot forward, most likely because it 
diluted it's efforts by fielding six teams (and had the noive to imply the 
Italians only won because they spent more money...puleeze)

Ferrari beat the world for the constructors championship..they built the 
best race car in the world in 99. Had Schumacher been fit, they'd have won 
the driver's title too. Schumy may be brilliant but he ain't THAT much 
better than Hakkinen or Irvine, after all Fast Eddie won some races too, 
and Salo showed it was a fast car pretty fast.

American emission and collision protection laws now amount to a trade 
barrier, unjustifiable by normally accepted principles of international 
trade, principles that the US repeatedly and vociferously tries to ram down 
the rest of the world's throat, when it suits it. The fiasco of the 
current  US administration finally starting to apply these regulations to 
SUV's (which necessarily means they did not apply until now, and SUVs built 
before today demonstrably do not comply) absolutely proves that this is the 
case.

What I did NOT say:

ALFA is no longer in the US market because of these protectionist regulations.

America is no good

Gun control is a good idea (which it is BTW)

Sailing in New Zealand is for sissys (or whatever epithet one wishes to 
substitute for the somewhat offensive "sissy")...just try a New Zealand 
sailing "cruise" in the Hauraki Gulf and say that with a straight face.


Funny thing is I SAID I was tossing down the gauntlet and no one picked it 
up...so what is the justification for the current difference between US and 
European safety and emission rules? Why is it easier to import a US car 
into Europe than vice versa? (though admittedly very very few people want 
too...point made I think). Getting back to what I DID say, and the reason I 
sent in the post, is that importing a perfectly safe and clean burning 
European made car is practically speaking impossible for an ordinary US 
Citizen. This is not true for the reverse, although what an ordinary person 
can afford to put on the road in Europe does not include many US style 
cars, for lots of reasons unrelated to regulation, but which should be of 
interest to everyone on this BB.

I recently picked up the 2000 edition of R&T's guide to sports and GT cars 
available in the US. Twenty cars were tested, one of them was a SAAB Viggen 
( a sedan I think, a very fast and excellent sedan but NOT a Sports or GT 
car). Only five cars were priced under $30,000.  The Mazda Miata, the Ford 
Mustang convertible,the Mercury Cougar (is nothing sacred a cougar included 
as a Sports or GT car???), the Mitsubishi Eclipse (ditto I think), and last 
but not least the Toyota Celica GT-S (at least the name gives it away as a 
GT). Funny thing, the sedan could run rings around any of the cars even 
close to the Viggen in price, I love SAABs (own two of them) but it is a 
station wagon guys, a very very quick and fast station wagon, bit still a 
wagon.

I won't bother to dig out my older copies of R&T's Sports and GT guide but 
I defy anyone to find an older version that includes so many hopelessly 
boring or outrageously expensive cars pretending to be true sports 
machines. Sure, the US regulations didn't drive ALFA out of the market, but 
they prevent any small volume manufacturer from importing cost effectively, 
even Morgan only manages it by stuffing a Land Rover engine in and spending 
a bunch on silly and irrelevant details.

Flame away guys, but as we say in my business, I rest my case (we don't 
actually, but it sounds good on TV).

Welcome to the world's most boring automotive market...the good ole US of 
A, why have you done this to yourselves? And to head off those Canada's 
just as bad flames, we did it because we had to. No one would make a 
Canadian Spec only model..well except maybe Lada, or Volvo. Once the US 
started mandating standards for cars, Canada had no choice if it wanted to 
buy anything but made in Canada American cars (we build the best US built 
cars in North America!)


Michael Smith
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
91 Alfa 164L, White, original owner

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