One (shite) picture per post.

[Junkman]

[Junkman]

[Junkman]

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I'd like to think this is the players car park, the S3, The Gaffer's (should be blue,but then he'd probably have it at more than one team).The XR4i,Capris and Orion Ghia injection,bviously to the top earners .

 

I wonder if they had people to warm them up and valet park them during winter training, as seen here

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I have no idea why there's a Viennese tram picture in my above post.

[Junkman]

It's a Viennese Allegro picture.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

It's a Viennese Allegro picture.

So,the high non-German content isn't just a coincidence ? I thought Austrians in the 70's just bought a lot of foreign cars ( I know technically, German cars are foreign too,but you know what I mean)

[dugong]

So,the high non-German content isn't just a coincidence ? I thought Austrians in the 70's just bought a lot of foreign cars ( I know technically, German cars are foreign too,but you know what I mean)

 

Common Market cars were also a lot cheaper. Perception of British marques was far more favourable in .at then it was at home. People wanted BL stuff, especially Jaguars and Rovers.

 

AMIRITE, Junkman?

[Junkman]

Austria wasn't a EU member until 1995 (for the record: I voted against this), but it was a member of the EFTA.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Free_Trade_Association

 

Therefore Austrians bought a lot of EFTA cars, since those were customs exempt (a 33% excise was levied on EU stuff).

Hence the relatively high content of Brit tin, which I keep stressing.

I think many of the pics illustrate quite nicely that the rapidly fading memories of my y00f are indeed correct.

After the UK joined the EU in 1973, and thus had to abandon the EFTA, the sales in .at declined, since the price advantage was lost.

So the UK got bumraped twofold by joining the EU - they opened the floodgates for Europeans imports, and at the same time lost their

established EFTA market.

By the mid-80s, there were hardly any British cars left, and most of the dealers having happily sold English cars during the EFTA years

had moved on to other makes, mostly J-tin.

 

And yes, British cars enjoy an entirely different reputation in Austria, than they do here.

Jags and Rovers were for the rich, but ordinary folk rather bought a Cortina or Viva, than a Taunus or a Kadett, due to the instant

1/3rd "discount". BL stuff was seen as innovative and somewhat intellectual, Minis were extremely popular, and the Allegro was perceived

'chic' and trendy.

[forddeliveryboy]

Wasn't European Free Trade the whole argument for the UK entering the EEC in the early 70s? Nobody said anything about them stealthily making most of our laws and pinching our fish.

[steve_earwig]

[Junkman]

Wasn't European Free Trade the whole argument for the UK entering the EEC in the early 70s? Nobody said anything about them stealthily making most of our laws and pinching our fish.

 

Yes. But in stark contrast to what they told the British public, what they meant was that the already existing common market can overrun the UK.

When France nixed Britain's membership application in 1968, Britain had to wait for another five years to be allowed to make another application.

The European car corporations used the time to prepare for an invasion, drawing on resources they had already established within the EEC.

Hence when the UK joined, and of course had no dealer network throughout the EEC at the time, it opened its doors wide open by abandoning

all control mechanisms to restrict imports.

Agents of European car corporations immediately travelled to the UK, pre-printed contracts and cash in suitcase, to make BL and Chrysler/Rootes

dealers switch brands practically overnight. As I said earlier, at the same time, the British car industry lost its EFTA market equally overnight.

A fact, that's often left out of the equation, when the usual discussion about the failing of the British car industry commences.

 

Anyway, what counts is that Austria was ripe with English chod when I was a kid, and we all loved these cars.

And this wasn't restricted to cars. There were many English household goods, toys (hey, no 33% customs!), and England was regarded as the

leader in terms of popular culture, design, and fashion.

[Tayne]

[steve_earwig]

 

Am I participating in the correct manner?

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Junkman]

PICT0123c.JPG

 

Am I participating in the correct manner?

 

Totally!

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

[Tayne]

 

Note the "English Ford"

[Tayne]

[Tayne]