RAY WYGONIK wrote:
> First I would love to see a new MG come to market and once I finish paying for
>
> the 5 college educations (grad and undergrad) that are now dominating my
> budget, I would probably buy.
Sorry, folks, but I think all the 'B' and Midget owners fool themselves into
thinking they are maintaining a dying breed when, in fact, we're all just too
cheap to own collectable sports cars. For the 10 years I have been in this
hobby, I could always buy a pretty darn good car for 4 to 6 thousand and the
prices do not seem to have appreciated all that much.
Jags and big Healeys are much more collectable and pricey and the 'maintaining
the breed' snobbism requires a much bigger financial commitment. On the other
hand, you never see them on the streets anymore. Although not all that common,
you do see 'B's and Midgets on the streets here in Kansas City. A lot more than
the Triumphs, but I can't think of the last time I've seen an XKE or big Healey
out touring around. That also goes for lots of 60's cars like Porches,
Corvettes, and all the Italian marques (except the Fiat 124 spyder). And I never
see 'A's, T series, TR3s, etc. outside of car shows. To pricey? Fragile? Dunno.
Only the 'B's and Midgets can be seen occasionally droning down the highways.
I'm not sure why that is but it certainly would seem that they are too cheap to
cherish and hide in the garages.
I'm not convinced that the Miata movement has much to do with the appreciation
of our Marquee. When someone buys a Miata, they spend a bundle of money that
could have purchased a lot of other new cars. My wife bought a full-zoot Z28 for
less than a Miata. For my money, the Camaro out performs the Miata in every
measureable way. I rented a Miata, once, in Denver. Nice, competent car where
everything worked. But the car had no soul. No character. A competent pretender.
Nice A/C, though.
I hear Volkswagon is going to bring the bug back out. It will have enough visual
clues back to the original but it will be front wheel drive and it will be
priced close to $20,000. Again, there is a lot of competition in that price
range. It would be difficult to be a 'cult' car given the price of admission
that high. I'm sure they engineers are working overtime to keep charisma out and
comforts in.
So you think if the MGF came over here you would buy one? I wouldn't as the
price would likely be closer to $30K then $20K. For that much money you could
own one each of every model MG back to the 'A'. Okay, you could take out a note
and it would be your daily driver -- hell, it would have to be.
It would seem modern automakers look at the 'basic sports car' formula in
disdain. The American consumer has become ingrained with electric gadgets,
doodads, and padding such that a lightweight sports car with 150 HP four would
likely fail in the marketplace. Also, there is the huge burecratic morass of EPA
and HTSA requriements that add so much to the cars' price it can't even be
measured anymore. We don't seem to be able to build inexpensive and sporty cars
in low volume anymore.
I feel lucky that the entry price into MGs is so low. I can afford to have a
couple and the machines are so simple that I can fix them with simple tools and
skills and take a great deal of satisfaction when I'm done. I don't find much in
modern cars that could be called satisfying. Good but sterile handling, cold
A/C, great tunes from the CD, pretty paint, etc., are attributes to enjoy but
they have become expectations and not a source of satisfaction. Merely competent
appliances or ego symbols.
My subscription to Motor Trend has long since lapsed -- every since the car of
the year was a. . . Minivan! Car and Driver should be renamed "Unattainable
Foreign Cars Enjoyed by Snobs".
Nope. No MGF, new Bug, or even a Harley for me. My value system seems to be
stuck in an earlier age.
--
Bob Allen, Kansas City, '69CGT, '75TR6, '61Elva(?)
"Lead me not into temptation. I can get there just fine by myslef."
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