Should we be getting behind Brexit by boycotting German cars
Discussion
German cars? Or cars from anywhere in the EU or EEC?
Brexit will either drift out into something so soft that we may as well have stayed in (all the costs, most the benefits, no rebate / veto / influence). Or it will be a hard Brexit with no trade deal and all of the associated import duties and exchange rate chaos (which will make EU cars very unattractive anyway).
I'm personally very confused as to how we should act as I'm actually a passionate remainer, who happens to have three British cars.
Brexit will either drift out into something so soft that we may as well have stayed in (all the costs, most the benefits, no rebate / veto / influence). Or it will be a hard Brexit with no trade deal and all of the associated import duties and exchange rate chaos (which will make EU cars very unattractive anyway).
I'm personally very confused as to how we should act as I'm actually a passionate remainer, who happens to have three British cars.
I think that if Hard Brexit occurs and if the EU are perceived as having been needlessly unreasonable which led to no deal, then whether or not a product is EU or Non-EU will be a factor for many when comparing products for purchase.
I don't think that for majority, it will be the ultimate decider, and the best product will win, but it will be a consideration when 2 items are of relatively equal quality.
I don't think that for majority, it will be the ultimate decider, and the best product will win, but it will be a consideration when 2 items are of relatively equal quality.
Edited by hyphen on Tuesday 17th October 16:05
SantaBarbara said:
I much prefer Volvo and Vauxhall.
Volvo mainly made in the EU, so under the OP's thinking we maybe shouldn't buy them (Even though they are under Chinese ownership). And Vauxhall now owned by Peugeot and therefore partly owned by French government.But, I suspect I'm due a whoosh..... I'll fetch my coat.
It's already started in other areas, due to the £-€ exchange rate changes post-Brexit vote. For example, Britain has curtailed its buying of mushrooms from Ireland, meaning there is many a farmer here now in dire straits (selling to rest of Europe not really an option due to transport issues)
IMO there aren't too many wins coming out of Brexit. Although hopefully for the OPs sake he'll be delighted to see fewer new German cars on his street. Perhaps a decent trade deal with S. Korea will mean it'll be full of Kias & Hyundais instead
IMO there aren't too many wins coming out of Brexit. Although hopefully for the OPs sake he'll be delighted to see fewer new German cars on his street. Perhaps a decent trade deal with S. Korea will mean it'll be full of Kias & Hyundais instead
LuS1fer said:
It strikes me that if everybody suddenly cancelled their German car orders, Europe might suddenly start to wonder who will buy them.
Yeah, like BMW/Merc etc don't sell every car they build, with ease. If we don't take them, someone else will. We'll probably be doing them a favour, as they will be able to cut down on their RHD production.
You've bought in to the whole "they need us more than we need them" lie. Believe me, they really don't.
I’ll buy whatever I think is best for the money. If that means another German car taking into account 10% import duty and higher prices owing to a weaker pound then so be it. I certainly wouldn’t let the country of manufacture steer my decision on any sort of ideological grounds. I voted Leave.
hyphen said:
I think that if Hard Brexit occurs and if the EU are perceived as having been needlessly unreasonable which led to no deal, then whether or not a product is EU or Non-EU will be a factor for many when comparing products for purchase.
I don't think that for majority, it will be the ultimate decider, and the best product will win, but it will be a consideration when 2 items are of relatively equal quality.
I think with no trade deal we will see some major exchange rate fluctuations and some significant import duties.... It may make cars from the EU very expensive..... We'll be driving cars from Asia?I don't think that for majority, it will be the ultimate decider, and the best product will win, but it will be a consideration when 2 items are of relatively equal quality.
Edited by hyphen on Tuesday 17th October 16:05
Or maybe some manufacturers will set up small assy plants in the UK to try and circumnavigate complex import legislation.
LuS1fer said:
Have to say that German cars have never appealed to me.
I've had a few but I was never a fanboy.
It strikes me that if everybody suddenly cancelled their German car orders, Europe might suddenly start to wonder who will buy them.
OK, you might not like the other options but....
Do you mean the cars manufactured in Germany only?I've had a few but I was never a fanboy.
It strikes me that if everybody suddenly cancelled their German car orders, Europe might suddenly start to wonder who will buy them.
OK, you might not like the other options but....
TwigtheWonderkid said:
You've bought in to the whole "they need us more than we need them" lie. Believe me, they really don't.
I agree with you in the main. It will certainly hurt us plenty, but I think it will also hurt these EU OEMs. I think UK accounts for around 10% of their sales. Far from the end of the world, but these businesses thrive on volume.ETA: This shows the quality of thinking and politics between Juncker and Cameron to have created this situation where both sides will be impacted negatively. Amazing really.
Edited by Hungrymc on Tuesday 17th October 16:22
RobM77 said:
LuS1fer said:
Have to say that German cars have never appealed to me.
I've had a few but I was never a fanboy
Why have you owned a few if they've never appealed to you?I've had a few but I was never a fanboy
Other than that, a knackered old Golf GTI 8v which was slow and very rusty.
Had about 30 cars that weren't German.
I said German as they do seem to be the major country in the EU and have the biggest car industry, I imagine.
In terms of purchasing, I am thinking in terms of supporting those manufacturers who produce cars and engines in the UK - if we don't, I imagine some will ship out Jag, LR, Toyota, Honda etc.
As for the "they can sell all they make", about 1 in 7 cars sold in the UK is German and the UK is their main export market.
So, in 2014, a fifth of their production went to the UK and about 820,000 vehicles were exported to the UK.
More recently "Germany sells about 14% of all the passenger cars it makes domestically to the UK, a little over one in seven. (That makes up about 18% of the passenger cars it exports, a little under one in five)".
So yes, if the small matter of 820,000 cars can be sold elsewhere, rock on.
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