Is a 95 gs500 worth 800.00

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What's the exchange rate Aussie dollars to us dollars?  Looks like almost 2 to 1.

Cookie

Our dollar is actually stronger than yours at the moment. We just get shafted on vehicle prices.

Do you know why that is?  Taxes?, tarrifs?, destination charges?, greedy government?, greedy somebody???


Cookie
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Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes and yes.

Ok. back in the 90s Ford Australia made a Ford Capri. I believe this softtop convertible was known as Mercury Capri in the USA. Here's the kicker... the car was made to be exported to the USA. Made in Australia to be sold into the US market, right?

At the time, to buy that car in Australia cost A$28,000. It sold for the equivalent of A$17,500 in the USA (around US$14k). Made in Oz and sold in Oz for $28kA, made in Oz and shipped and sold in the US for $17.5kA. IF Ford could make a profit selling it for ten grand cheaper in the US even after shipping, how the fug could they justify selling it for such a high price in the country it was made in where it didn't need expensive sea shipping and insurance?

Cookie, while Australia might be the same geographical size as the USA, it only has 21 million people. Imagine, say, the population of New York spread out over the entire USA and that's the only people. It'd be like the US was back when you guys has the civil war, population wise. But we still need road/rail/power/etc infrastructure to span the country.

The other year, Kawasaki sold over 6,000 units of the Z750 into Europe. That's one model only. But that is roughly equal Kawasaki's entire sales for a year in Australia across all models. In short, the Australian Market is pathetically small. As such, we kinda only get the leftovers. And being such a small market, we really have no buying power at all. Throw in the overwhelming regulations and governance (same number of politicians as the UK with only one quarter the people) and you start to understand why we get screwed.

As our dollar has become closer to yours, and due to the disparity of prices for the same goods, people in Oz now shop for a lot of things online. Even after shipping, it is often cheaper to get something from the US than buy it from the local seller - even after they get it at wholesale prices when they bring it into the country. Gerry Harvey, owner of the store chain "Harvey Normal" tried to petition the govt to force additional taxes onto goods individuals bought from overseas. Why? Cause he's a greedy MoFo and instead of lowering prices to match and be competitive, he wanted to keep prices artificially high and try to get a law passed (but failed) to screw the individual who was looking to save a buck. We already have laws in place that get you if the good's value is over $1000 (via  govt postal service) or, $450 (I think) if it comes in via Fed Ex or another carrier. We already have laws in place if you buy a certain number of the same good in one shipment - buy more than 2 helmets at a time and you'll have to pay those additional taxes. But this MoFo wanted it to apply to each and every item a person bought - single items won on ebay or bought from an overseas online store or whatever.He wanted to use the msucle of the govt to screw over Australians so he could keep making bigger profits. To hell with him!  

Essentially, whatever Deals some govt bod makes with some other bod from OS means... good for the OS bod, good for the dipsheet who runs the govt bod over here with backhanders and the like, good for the govt coffers, bad for the Aust people who have to be kept in the dark about the entire thing.

Michael
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Michael.......

Very interesting.....

BTW I owned one of those Mercury Capri......2004   Was basically Mazda running gear.   I LOVED THAT CAR!!!!!!!!

By 2004 Ford realized the car was a commercial failure here in USA so they basically gave up.  I bought mine NEW from the showroom for about  $13,000 US  !!!!!!!!!(the new 2004 was selling for a lower proce than left over 2003...go figure that one!)

The  earlier models had numerous problems and troubles but by 2004 they were all worked out.........Mine ran just about flawlessly for something like 160,000 miles.......did change the top once and had the electronic "brain" crap out once.

But to the topic, it looks to me like too much government intrusion into private business.....socialism if you will..........The USA ued to be a great place of personal freedom, and small government.....this is changing rapidly.....too bad.

Cookie