Re: [FWDLK] property taxes/old cars

----- Original Message -----

Well, here?s how it is in The Netherlands: all for free!

For cars older then 30 years, there?s no tax at all. No import tax, no road tax, nothing.

And now it gets even better. We do have an annual, mandatory technical test, but shortly, for cars over 30 years old, there?s no testing anymore.

Apparently we do have the unimaginary, some politicians with sense (or classic cars?). And they figured that people owning and driving classic cars take very well care of them.

Plus at the garage, people don?t know how or what to test classic cars for. I imagine them in their white overalls in total confusion trying to figure out where to stick that multi pin connecter in my ?57 Dodge!

Jim. The Netherlands

?57 Dodge x2

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20 years ago the Nat'l DeSoto Club sponsored an emissions test with one of the eastern states' facilities on club members' cars, pitting them against an "average" of all other vehicles tested. As I recall, the oldies scored quite well. It was speculated that the collector car was maintained at a much higher level than the "typical" daily driver of the masses, and therefore did so well.

I believe the point of the test was to counter the lingering impression in the public mind of old heavy cars that were just daily drivers and not maintianed like collectors and enthusiasts will look after them. I certainly remember old finned jalopies going down the road, leaning to one side with the muffler dragging on the ground and a cloud of blue smoke fogging the intersection when the light turned green. The timing for finned cars to be the common "old car" on the road was coincidental with the growing ecology movement of the sixties and early seventies. Add in the oil embargo/s of 73-74 and the iconic image of wreckless consumption and environmental destruction to many people was the big, old, gas guzzling pig of a car. It was the final straw for many of the finned cars. The owners just parked them and got an econobox. By 1980, many people we asked just GAVE us these cars that had been sitting idle for 5 years, just to get them out of the driveway - they were eyesores.

We were more than happy to accomodate ! ;-D