Historic weekend for A4's

[Nemesis]

Yesterday and today:

http://www.steamdreams.com/content/view/42/58/

 

[Penners]

Oh, that's a disappointment.

I thought you meant proper A4's.

 

[Nemesis]

:roll:

 

[Nemesis]

PROPER A4's:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-wBVP1ar9Sk&feature=related

 

[Penners]

I'll see your A4 and raise you...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rsgCG8cFQjs

 

[Nemesis]

No, I'd rather have Mallard, thenk you!

Another epic journey: t'other half and his chum are setting off Wed evening from oop north in a TR3 with aeroscreens and some basic camping equipment to aim to get here:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pTabmZGa-O4&feature=related

Thursday to Monday. Fingers crossed. Not much room for spares!

 

[Penners]

Nice video. I do hope the non-Francophone drivers were told what "Evacuation piste" meant before they got the wrong idea.

As a young man I always wanted a TR3 (actually, it was a TR3A I set my heart on) but never achieved my dream. What are aeroscreens?

 

[Nemesis]

We've had a 3a since 1970. In need of a LOT of work now! But maybe one day it will ride again!

http://www.tr-register.co.uk/tr3a.htm

Here's another bit of historic footage:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fMDMJYcikt4


And of course that was the worst ever accident, hopefully never to be repeated.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FXtb5eDUuQw&NR=1



Areoscreens:

http://www.s-v-c.co.uk/prod_other.html



[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]




[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]

 

[Penners]

Those aeroscreens are great. Real Mille Miglia stuff!

 

[Gervase]

I've just acquired an ancient Series II Land Rover, and am determined to have the lid off and the screen folded down at least once this summer to experience the wind (and assorted insect life) in my face. Mind you, I have to get the damned thing going yet, but the prospect of being able to drive it free of car tax is a big incentive.

 

[Nemesis]

Yes, I lust after one of those... but I suspect it won't go fast enough to worry about having to take the toothpick for the flies.

I see rain is forecast for the weekend at Le Mans...

http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/extended/FRXX0048

 

[Penners]

the prospect of being able to drive it free of car tax is a big incentive.

What's the required age of the vehicle for this to apply?

 

[Gervase]

It has to have been built before January 1st 1973. You still need an annual tax disk - and therefore MOT and insurance - but it's free. Details on a PDF here.

 

[Nemesis]

The zero rate road tax was introduced by the Conservative Government back in the early 1990s, the idea being that the cutoff would be on a rolling 25 year basis. However when Tony's cronies got in a few years back, they froze this rolling arrangement, and ever since the zero rated roadtax applies to any car *built* prior to 1/1/1973, so even if your BMW 2002 was registered in '73, if the build date on the V5 is a '72 date, you should be ok.

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/classic_intro.htm

Which is a bit of a sod... but they won't now budge on the 'rolling' issue.

http://www.fbhvc.co.uk/members/index.htm

 

[Penners]

Many thanks Gervase.

An interesting situation, given that the general attitude towards vehicle taxation is steadily veering towards taxing the highest polluters the most. A pre-1973 vehicle will, I presume, burn leaded fuel and have more controversial exhaust emissions than later models.

I wonder how long this concession will continue.

 

[Nemesis]

Well, my 1954 vehicle is converted to burn unleaded, and these are hardly used nowadays, in the main, as daily transport.

 

[Flyfisher]

An interesting situation, given that the general attitude towards vehicle taxation is steadily veering towards taxing the highest polluters the most. A pre-1973 vehicle will, I presume, burn leaded fuel and have more controversial exhaust emissions than later models.

Taxing pollution seems to be fraught with difficulty and anomaly. Modern vehicles are far less polluting than old ones so why exempt old vehicles from road tax? A Range Rover used for 3000 miles per year will be less polluting than a Mondeo 'rep-mobile' doing 40,000 miles per year, so why tax the Range Rover more than the Mondeo - it's not the ownership that pollutes, it's the usage. I've also read that lawn mowers are among the 'dirtiest' engines (not electric or 'push' ones of course), and they are completely unregulated, yet very widely used. My tractor is also tax-free, but I suspect it's far more polluting than my diesel car. It's all a bit of a mess. Surely it's better to remove all vehicle taxes and just tax the fuel itself? After all, it's burning the fuel that does the damage. Same with all this house insulation regulation stuff - Incentivise people to burn less fuel (i.e. tax the fuel) and they'll soon figure out the best way for them to reduce their fuel bills based on their own circumstances, which might be DG, insulation etc etc or it might be wooly jumpers. Get to the root of the problem rather than keep fiddling with the details.

 

[MdB]

... and just tax the fuel itself? ...

They are doing quite well at that already thank you.

The average driver pays a lot more in fuel tax than in car tax currently so the effect is already there. I do agree with your with your sentiments though.

 

[Flyfisher]

Well, I know what you mean about current fuel tax levels (including all the additional VAT from the generally higher prices dues to the underlying oil price), but I wouldn't say the 'road tax' element is insignificant, especially considering the proposed increases, allegedly to encourage 'greener' cars - although how they can possibly consider a retrospective road tax increase is a fair way to encourage 'greener' motoring behaviour is rather mind-boggling.

If I was being cynical, I'd say they prefer to spread all these taxes around to try to disguise their true overall levels - but let's not stray into politics!

Perhaps the underlying oil price will provide the real impetus for a change in behaviour - another price record last week I believe.

 

[Nemesis]

In rural areas, we have little choice but to use cars more.

Our village PO has just been axed (or has been given notice it will be). OK, they are going to send a van two hours a day (until that is axed too...). But the PO salary means the village shop is able to keep open. We will lose that too. It's a mile away from us, we can walk there. In order to shop, buy newspaper etc, it's now a three mile trip.


And for some, far more.

We are fortunate in having a skeleton bus service, but so many have none.