TDO wrote:
I'm inclined to agree with Mick and Nidge for a change
We've effectively accepted the Gateshead scenario of saloon plate premiums for years, which is perhaps one reason I wonder why Mick is claiming that we are refusing to recognise the fact.
I personally think you're being too benevolent to the situation in Gateshead. Gateshead is not typical of Authorities that are lifting numbers because Gateshead does not have a quality control policy.
For two grand or less you can buy a Fairway already plated, so why pay 12 grand for a two grand saloon? I can't see any logic in giving ten grand to someone for nothing. Perhaps you or maybe someone else can tell me just exactly what the extra ten grand will get me in Gateshead besides uncertainty?
How about we start with vehicle type, what type of saloon vehicle will two grand buy me in Gateshead, what reg and condition, and how many miles on the clock? What interior condition can we expect, such as seats, carpets door and window mechanisms, how many engines would this 2 grand vehicle have gone through? What body condition can we expect from a 2 grand vehicle that has had a life as a Taxi? At the end of the day you will probably find that the only difference in running costs between a saloon and wav is mpg, there will not be much difference in anything else.
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I think the reason for saloon premiums is quite simple - the running costs on a saloon are lower, and they are more attractive to drive and use as your own transport - I certainly agree with Mick on this point.
Explain lower running costs, besides MPG?
How lower are running costs on a two grand saloon vehicle compared to a 2 grand Fairway or metro or any other type of WAV? Is there really ten grand worth’s of savings?
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Of course, this kind of assumes similar quality vehicles, effectively the lowest cost that can be put through the licensing process, in which case a saloon will always be the cheaper option.
The cheapest option more often than not turns out to be the most expensive option because in reality you get what you pay for. In a great many cases the cheaper option sometimes creates a bigger headache in both the short and longer term than perhaps some other more expensive options. So to pay 10 grand for a 500 pound cheap option might be a little risky don't you think?
What would a person do if the Council decided to change its policy in the next 12 or 18 months and license only Wav vehicles? How would the 10,500 pound cheap saloon investment look then?
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Of course, JD says that you can buy an old bucket of a WAV for a lot less than any saloon and plate combined, but presumably the reason that saloon plates still have a value is that people would probably run the same standard of vehicle whatever plate they have. For example, someone who might pay 20k for a decent WAV would probably also buy a decent saloon, so in Gateshead he could either invest the £20k in a WAV or buy a £10k saloon and plate it with a £10k saloon plate. Clearly many would rather run a £10k saloon rather than a £20k WAV, and there's always the probability that the plate will be sellable for what it was bought for, or even more, whereas the extra WAV value will be lost for depreciation.
If you speculate ten grand on a saloon vehicle and someone else speculated the same amount, ten grand on a wav vehicle which would depreciate in value the quickest?
The Gateshead scenario is totally different than those restricted Authorities that are currently lifting numbers. In my opinion your analysis would be more fitting to those authorities that have a quality control policy.
Best wishes
JD