re: Importing non-us models,

["N" <twobees@domain.elided>]

Okay, folks.  I have to weigh in on this one.

I was there back in the '80's when Mercedes & BMW spent a ton of $$ & time
in Washington "lobbying" our elected & appointed officials.  Seems they
suddenly realized that a LOT of people were wising up to what they were
doing, i.e. charging a LOT more for a car here than they did in the
Fatherland.  In fact, at one point, given the exchange rate at the time, it
cost almost exactly to the dollar TWICE AS MUCH for the same Mercedes, with
the same equipment here in the U.S as in Germany.

The differences proclaimed by the importers were the "safety" features that
the European cars didn't have.  However, they were the same things that the
"Grey Market" importers/converters installed on the half-priced cars for
about $3,000.  One thing the "official" importers were right about was that
some of these converters were doing crappy jobs.  But, many did as good a
job as the manufacturer would have.

But, rather than police the converters, the factory importers convinced the
politicians inside the Beltway to protect their profits for them by writing
new laws & regulations.  How much profit?  Well, here's a quote I got from
an executive at one of the German importers in answer to my question of why
they charged so much more for the cars here in the U.S.  "Because we can
charge what the traffic will bear."   And, when I recently saw in a piece on
the Paris auto show what Alfa wants to charge for the econo-box
high-performance sports version, it isn't just the Germans who are
overcharging.  $40,000 for an Italian GTI?  Outrageous!  But, then so was
Enron, et al.

So, when some congress woman gives a political answer to a question about
importing an "unauthorized" car, you know why.  It's the economy stupid!
Or, some company's economy anyway.

Norm Sippel
Ex-auto editor, pre-legislation Alfa driver,
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