| Title: | Cars in the UK |
| Notice: | Please read new conference charter 1.70 |
| Moderator: | COMICS::SHELLEY ELD |
| Created: | Sun Mar 06 1994 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 2584 |
| Total number of notes: | 63384 |
Did anyone see Top Gear last night (05-09-96)? There was a disturbing
article on it about car spares/parts. As I understood it, it seems that
the good old Eurocrats at Brussels have come up with a piece of
legislation that will stop car parts being manufactured and supplied by
anyone other than the original manufacturers.
This effectively means that if you want a new headlamp unit for your
Cavalier, you'll have to go to Vauxhall rather than Halfords. The
example they priced out was a Lucas headlamp costing �85.00 at Vauxhall
while it was �40 at Halfords.
So, it seems that this'll force everybody to pay the inflated main
dealer prices for spares........I wonder who fought for this piece of
legislation - car manufacturers perhaps?
Surely, if I understand the implications of this correctly, it'll lead
to increased unemployment, business closures etc...........or did I get
hold the wrong end of the stick?
Paul
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2546.1 | a bus pass for everyone. | VYGER::MCKAYRE | Fri Sep 06 1996 16:45 | 21 | |
I did not see the program but was horified when someone told me about
it today.
It's the pattern part makers that keep the car makers back from
charging whatever they want by providing an alternative source, so no
alternative means an exlusive monopoly, which means todays dealer
prices will be peanuts compared to what may be coming !
I can see it now new cars going for a Fiver then when you go in for
your first service the oil filter will cost 20 grand !
Is there anything to be done to stop the Eurocrats ?
How about a big bomb ?
Cheers
Rory... :-)
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| 2546.2 | free cars = no company car tax | RDGENG::BRYANT | Fri Sep 06 1996 20:06 | 2 | |
re.1 Could be good for company car drivers!
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| 2546.3 | Euro Loonycrats...... | PGREEN::RICHARDS | Mon Sep 09 1996 13:43 | 28 | |
ref .1
It'd have to be a big, big bomb to get all of the Eurocrats - there's
probably more of them than there was estate agents in the late 80's -
just as popular as well.
Seriously though, the trouble is that there is no real way of stopping
this sort of thing going through - and there's more on the way. In
the long term they'll meddle with every aspect of life in Britain. Of
course the rest of Europe (particuarly the French and Germans) will choose
to ignore new Euro laws but the UK, we'll enforce them rigidly.
Back to the plot, I seem to remember that the article also mentioned
pattern body panels and the fact that whilst they were cheaper than main
manufacturers, they were mostly of similar quality. To support this they
mentioned that the Road Research Lab had carried out crash tests on
vehicles using these parts with no noticable deterioration in
crashworthiness.
The only ones to benefit from such a move will be the Government (more
taxes on company profits), the Insurance Companies (more profits), the
Car Manufacturers (more profits) and let's not forget those that have had
their palms greased to get such legislation through.
cynically yours
Paul
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