PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Any of you guys on the other side off the "Pond" have American cars?

Jim B. · #4 03-27-2007, 06:11 PM

Lack of right hand drive, high petrol prices, general
perception of American cars as "crap" cars, difficulty in handling in tight city quarters, lack of dealer and service support are some of the things that conspire against them. Also, they are taxed and subject to the MOT insection and rust that afflict all cars in England. Typical cars and minivans are usually kept on the road for just a few years, then discarded like kleenex, after being bought new.

There was an effort to sell Cadillacs and Corvettes there for a while but it collapsed. Still, they are seen from time to time, but usually specialty type cars, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Corvette, Camaro, Mustang, Cadillac Seville, (I once saw a new Olds 88 sedan near the US embassy in London) Ford Explorers are only bought by die hards.

Many of them are just too ungainly, and the engines too large and thirsty, and the build quality too shoddy, to interest big car fanciers there. They tend towards BMW 7 series, Mercedes S class, Jaguar/Daimler, for those desiring large luxury rides, some of which are available with smaller, or diesel engines not available in the USA. You would think a car like the Ford Crown Victoria with a name like that, would sell. But I never once saw one in England. Not ever.

There are some collector clubs there, but the cars aren't daily drivers
http://www.american-auto-club.co.uk/

here was a 1957 Ford Skyliner that got blown apart by a rocket launching BSA 650 motorcycle in James Bond's "Thunderball" (1965) in a chase scene

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_4506-Ford-Fairlane-500-Skyliner-1957.html

Interesting subject, Nick.