From: brooks@mcnc.org (Ted Brooks)
Newsgroups: alt.autos.antique
Subject: Re: Old Car Emissions (Update)
Date: 13 Oct 92 17:24:59 GMT
Organization: MCNC Center for Microelectronics, RTP, NC

In article <1992Oct13.125344.19075@Princeton.EDU> farber@triumph.Princeton.EDU (Henry S. Farber) writes:
>
>
>In article Mark Shaw writes:
>
>People who actually use older cars because they cost less are NOT
>"exploiting" anything except relatively low prices.  This is what we all
>
>If there are societal costs of using older cars that the prices do not
>incorporate, then the prices should be fixed (with taxes) so that we
>face the right set of incentives when we make our car choices.  For
>example, older cars could cost more to register.  Regular users of older
>
Of course, you still can't get around tthe law of supply and demand. If 
older cars end up costing more to register, the value of said cars will
drop further on the open market, because noone wants to pay outrageous
licensing fees. This in turn will once again bring the cost of 
ownership more or less back in line, if you prefer to buy older cars and
run them for a couple of years. Of course, if you buy a newer car, you'll
end up geting clobbered even worse on depreciation.

>
>My gripe about older cars has to do with the new collectors who know
>nothing about their cars (don't work on em, don't drive em much) but
>have money and bid up the price until out of reach of the rest of us.  I
>really have no philosophical problem with this, as people ought to be
>free to buy what they want.  However, it does sadden me.
>
Hear, hear!!! I have little use for people who buy collector cars just to
make a quick buck. It just drives the prices of these cars out of reach
for those of us who have to work for a living, and set aside a piece of our
budget each month for our favorite obsession. I remember reading a restoration
book written in the early '60s. The author talked about dragging a Model A
out of a farmer's woods. The farmer couldn't understand why someone would
pay him good money for some old junker. These people were both the pioneers
and IMHO the heros of our hobby. They did it for the love of old cars, and
not much else. Nowdays, it seems like everybody who's got some forgotten
pile of junk rusting away in their back yard has suddenly "discovered a 
priceless classic". Gimme a break.

In all fairness, the rapid growth of the hobby has allowed some people to
make a good living off of manufacturing and selling repro parts. And that's
a tremendous help. But the growth definitely has its downside.    
 
Ted Brooks
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