How much is your car worth abroad...?

Davey P · January 30, 2019, 18:29

Just a little something to make you guys smile, and feel good about your cars. I'm working in Austria this week until Friday, which is something I do once a month (well, I got here last Thursday, and sneaked in 4 days of skiing - but that's not the bit to make you smile!). I got talking to a couple of my colleagues out here about my new toy today, and showed them a few pics of Ruby. They asked the inevitable question "how much did you pay for it?". When I told them it was just under 2 grand, they nearly fell over in disbelief! After a quick search on their equivalent to our Autotrader, a 2003 with similar mileage was............ €10,000. And there was one advertised for just over €6000 that had 450,000 km on the clock - ha ha! I thought mine was a bargain at the time, but now I definitely know it was - Get in!

Johnny5 · January 31, 2019, 06:43

Yeah, one of the few times a good car is actually worth less here. Nearly always, enthusiast cars are cheaper somewhere else, often USA. But, somehow, MR2s are actually cheaper here.

I remember, on Top Gear a few years back, Clarkson pointed out that a new BMW M3 was £50,000 here, and £30,000 in the USA. And, loads of cheap, tasty used stuff over there as well. For once, we win.

Davey P · January 31, 2019, 10:10

One of my other colleagues over here has got a Lotus Elise, and when he was looking to buy he actually considered getting one from the UK because they were so much cheaper, similar to the MR2's. I offered to drive it back to Austria for him if he found one (I'm such a generous and giving person, haha!), but in the end he couldn't find a suitable left hand drive model, so ended up buying one locally at the inflated Austrian price. I'm not sure about import duty and number plates etc, but I guess that could be easily sorted with all the money saved...

One of the lads I showed mine to yesterday said it was so cheap "because the steering wheel is on the wrong side" Cheeky bugger!

steveash · February 3, 2019, 13:42

A few months back we had been considering moving to Australia and inevitably one of my first things to check was the price of a Two. Not many over there and the prices about double ours.

paulj · February 3, 2019, 20:45

Quote from: Davey P on January 31, 2019, 10:10
One of the lads I showed mine to yesterday said it was so cheap "because the steering wheel is on the wrong side" Cheeky bugger!

On last weeks Grand Tour the quote was "the steering wheel on the correct side" Its all about perspective

minimike · February 11, 2019, 19:16

Quote from: steveash on February 3, 2019, 13:42
A few months back we had been considering moving to Australia and inevitably one of my first things to check was the price of a Two. Not many over there and the prices about double ours.

They are a lot more expensive and all auto's too unless converted I believe. (I spent 4 years in QLD).

I remember test driving a Civic type R out there. They only sell the Asian/US civic apart from the Type R which was our euro spec. This Aussie was loving the look of the car, it was a 2007 model, and was all set to buy, "I'll have it with the auto box" he said......mmm no you won't.

Petrus · February 25, 2019, 15:02

No need to look as far as Oz; over here in Spain the SW30 is a lot more expensive as well. A lot less rusty too though so probably worth the difference.

1979scotte · March 3, 2019, 21:37

Quote from: Petrus on February 25, 2019, 15:02
No need to look as far as Oz; over here in Spain the SW30 is a lot more expensive as well. A lot less rusty too though so probably worth the difference.

Car prices in Spain are simply ridiculous to a Brit.

Agreed on the rust shame about all the dings.
The Spanish are the worst parkers in Europe possibly the world.
They just ram the car in front and behind.
Makes me weep.

Petrus · March 3, 2019, 23:09

Just see a scratch or a ding as liberation and you will be fine.

They are not important, rust is.