Brexit

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Interesting numbers I must say, imported cars from Germany just about match the total the UK export to the whole of the EU and no doubt the value is much higher on the German side. The UK has always bought from abroad without prejudice but I suspect the farce ensuing from Brussels with only fuel a buy British feeling if it continues. Add to that the annual 5 billion trade deficit the UK has with Germany who has the most to lose

 

[Flyinspanner]

Anyone who voted to leave should be made to drive Allegros or Marina/Itals

 

[keefysher]

Anyone who voted to leave should be made to drive Allegros or Marina/Itals

Are they readily available? Or are there plans afoot to remodel like Beetle, Fiat 500, Mini?

 

[LostKiwi]

Interesting numbers I must say, imported cars from Germany just about match the total the UK export to the whole of the EU and no doubt the value is much higher on the German side. The UK has always bought from abroad without prejudice but I suspect the farce ensuing from Brussels with only fuel a buy British feeling if it continues. Add to that the annual 5 billion trade deficit the UK has with Germany who has the most to lose

It's about the percentages. UK sales account for only 14% of German production. EU sales account for 56% of UK production.
If you were to take a cut in income would you rather 14% or 56%?

There may be a difference in value but that's largely irrelevant as a 14% loss for any business is going to be easier to absorb than 56%.

 

[Yugguy]

My first car was a Marina 1.8TC. To be fair I wouldn't want to drive one now.

LK, neither side wants to lose any sales, and ultimately the commercial pressure will bring about a deal.

 

[turbopete]

You want to try having a northern accent in London.

i have tried it. they struggle to understand me. and they also cant work out where I'm from, being Cumbrian (Westmorland when it existed) so where I'm from originally, has some hints of Yorkshire in it, plus my Mothers side of the family is all from Newcastle/Morpeth so theres hints of Geordie in there too (plus living where I currently do, possibly doesn't help now) just to confuse them even more!!

 

[turbopete]

My first car was a Marina 1.8TC. To be fair I wouldn't want to drive one now

mine was a metro. we all make mistakes. I wouldn't want to drive one of those now either. like the Marina, it was cr@p when it was new, and it didn't improve with age!!!

now the Escorts/Orions that followed it, I could happily still drive one of those NOW.

 

[Craiglxviii]

mine was a metro. we all make mistakes. I wouldn't want to drive one of those now either. like the Marina, it was cr@p when it was new, and it didn't improve with age!!!

now the Escorts/Orions that followed it, I could happily still drive one of those NOW.

Where’s Calum when you need him?!?

 

[turbopete]

Where’s Calum when you need him?!?

in comparison to a Metro, they were HEAVEN!!! not one of them EVER let me down, except for a faulty battery on a 3 month old battery. hardly the cars fault.

the other reason id happily drive them is that I was working in a Ford dealership when they were still very common, and had more of them than I care to think about so I know them well, easy to work on etc.

 

[keefysher]

I had a MkIII Escort 1.6L, brand spankers on 1st August 1981. Bought using a family members employee discount and with compensation from an accident at work. I walked to work more often than driving it in the autumn, winter and spring as the thing wouldn't start.

 

[Frontstep]

I find the mindset behind the remoaners predictions of woe more than confusing.
At what point has any politician on any side of the argument said we won't be trading with countries in the EU after Brexit has been finalised ?
Which die hard EU politician has said we won't sell to you because your leaving the EU ?
Has Ms Merkel said the UK can't have any of our goods after we have left ?
The French will be forbidding my consumption of their Champagne ?
Does some Nick Clegg acolyte seriously think this is going to happen ?
Or perhaps they think there will be a one sided tariff ?
On the 29th March 2019 you might as well give up and help Nick with his Ark.
One wonders how that bastion of free trade China has managed to flood the world with its goods all those cheap I - Phones millions of them stacked up in Lidl and Aldi I must have missed them.

 

[Craiglxviii]

in comparison to a Metro, they were HEAVEN!!! not one of them EVER let me down, except for a faulty battery on a 3 month old battery. hardly the cars fault.

the other reason id happily drive them is that I was working in a Ford dealership when they were still very common, and had more of them than I care to think about so I know them well, easy to work on etc.

My first car was a C reg Orion. Would’ve been... 15 years old, on 120k miles and a bigger bag of spanner’s has never been this side of Christendom. Rust everywhere, could reach 84mph but not hold it for long, leaked water from the radio antenna actually INTO the radio. Yeah, not the finest example.

 

[turbopete]

My first car was a C reg Orion. Would’ve been... 15 years old, on 120k miles and a bigger bag of spanner’s has never been this side of Christendom. Rust everywhere, could reach 84mph but not hold it for long, leaked water from the radio antenna actually INTO the radio. Yeah, not the finest example.

water leak from the antenna I'm guessing was an aftermarket add-on. the Orion had it built in to the rear screen heater, even back then. mine were all old (not 15 years old but many were 8-10) and I usually got lucky with rust etc. hydraulic tappets were known to fail and rattle on the CVH engine (as they were on MOST engines of that era with hydraulic tappets) but I never had to replace any on my own cars and some of them had done north of 120k when I GOT them. our workshop foreman had one of the first Orions, 1.6i ghia, a reg, when he parked it up (as he did with cars he wasn't using and had replaced) the head had only been off his ONCE, he bought it from a Police officer (sergeant IIRC) with 70k miles on it. it served as family transport, got his kids to uni, got him to work daily and it had over 300k miles on when he parked it up.

 

[Yugguy]

I had a Yugo 45 that couldn't do 45 and poured smoke into the cabin. I've driven cars to the scrappy using a piece of string through the window to pull the throttle.

Kids these days don't know what driving is bah, mumble. ​

 

[Xtractorfan]

i have tried it. they struggle to understand me. and they also cant work out where I'm from, being Cumbrian (Westmorland when it existed) so where I'm from originally, has some hints of Yorkshire in it, plus my Mothers side of the family is all from Newcastle/Morpeth so theres hints of Geordie in there too (plus living where I currently do, possibly doesn't help now) just to confuse them even more!!

When Brexit happens Pete, they will have problems relocating you back to your roots... you may have to remain..lol

 

[turbopete]

When Brexit happens Pete, they will have problems relocating you back to your roots... you may have to remain..lol

I'm sure ill survive.....somehow

 

[LostKiwi]

I find the mindset behind the remoaners predictions of woe more than confusing.
At what point has any politician on any side of the argument said we won't be trading with countries in the EU after Brexit has been finalised ?
Which die hard EU politician has said we won't sell to you because your leaving the EU ?
Has Ms Merkel said the UK can't have any of our goods after we have left ?
The French will be forbidding my consumption of their Champagne ?
Does some Nick Clegg acolyte seriously think this is going to happen ?
Or perhaps they think there will be a one sided tariff ?
On the 29th March 2019 you might as well give up and help Nick with his Ark.
One wonders how that bastion of free trade China has managed to flood the world with its goods all those cheap I - Phones millions of them stacked up in Lidl and Aldi I must have missed them.

IF you don't get it yet you never will.

 

[dry run]

IF you don't get it yet you never will.

I'm pretty sure I get it, but find myself agreeing with FS

 

[peterdh]

I must be honest and say straight away that I haven't read all the way through this thread before posting this question, so please forgive me if it has been asked before.

It seems that our Euro friends are taking exception to us seeking a divorce and from what they are saying the intention is to take us to the cleaners as much as they are able. This is particularly the case as far as the Brussels bureaucrats are concerned I believe. At the moment the EU Members are adopting a similar tone. Of course no-one thought the divorce would be easy - they never are - but I wonder what Members on here will think and do if this intransigent attitude persists and we leave without agreeing any sort of reasonable deal with 'our friends' across the channel?

This question is particularly relevant as far as this forum is concerned. Will we still keep buying Mercs and other French and German goods or will we do the sensible, in my view, thing and look for products from countries who are happy to trade properly with us and not stitch us up as seems to be the intention at the moment?

Jaguar anyone?

 

[davemercedes]

The person most to blame imo Peter is Theresa May - coupled with the atrocious state of government today - most of the attitude from the EU is tit for tat to Mrs May has lost any authority she ever had in the 15 months she's had the "big" job.

She started off on day-one with a threat ("no deal is better" etc) before the negotiators had even spoken. I believe things could and would change fairly dramatically if she would go (funny... remember Cameron telling Corbyn in the Commons - "Just go, Man".... Her attitude has been in my opinion at best rude and at worst damaging to our negotiation position. Then take the total shambles of negotiation - in my opinion they (our Cabinet) had no idea what was wanted for the best part of a year but then Mayhem (the unelected leader of the one state leaving the other 27 told them (the EU) that they should look further etc.

Then just look back to the shambles starting with the court case that she insisted had to be taken to appeal (at our expense) when our highest judges agreed with a citizen that she could not do what she wanted like a president (especially the one over the pond!) and required the process to be debated and approved in parliament. That same scenario has just been repeated against the background of "The Great Power Grab" with over 136 changes proposed by MPs because she wants to take the repeal bill as carte blanche for herself and ministers without MPs approval - so the Repeal Bill is on the back burner at present. Great management, I don't think.

The ongoing argument about the "divorce bill" is another example of a mismanaged "fudge". She (May) has already indicated that we are prepared to pay what is genuinely due so instead of the continual waffle, all Davis had to say at their latest negotiation meeting was: "We will settle, subject to audit" (regardless of the "not a penny" rubbish that people like Bumbling Boris kept saying) instead of which, both sides flagged it up (again) as a major difference. It's not surprising that May's latest diversions like reviewing racial tensions and student debt (which the government themselves created) have been pushed out to distract our attention from the main shambles. It took all the time until the Florence speech for her to even confirm that we would provide any protection to EU citizens who are here (working and paying taxes)

Many foreign business leaders expressed sadness at the way our negotiations are (not) going but I believe Mayhem's manner has helped to move them from wanting a satisfactory settlement to almost a "good riddance" state. And while all this has been going on, productivity in UK has been sliding down and down while the EU has been going up.