American car sales in Europe?

[Lisa]

Maybe if Americans started buying the same sorts of cars that sell in Europe and Japan we might start buying them.
I've seen the odd muscle car now and then as we have a historic car show neaby at Shuttleworth Airodrome a few times a year that attracts a load of classic US cars.

Events - Shuttleworth Events & Attractions

www.shuttleworth.org

This is just a 10 minute drive from me.

Id love to have a VW Polo GTi.

 

[AliHajiSheik]

Volvo trucks are, it is just autos that are not

Thank you for clarifying.

 

[Helix]

The larger trucks you have would be a nightmare here.
You are allowed to import them and they are completely road legal but they just don't work well.

I wouldn't drive a luxury stomper truck on English roads. When we were there, we rented a compact car.

 

[joluoto]

Volvo isn't owned by Europeans.

The Volvo that makes trucks and buses is European, since that's still the original Swedush company. The Volvo that makes cars is Chinese owned.

 

[PeteEU]

Volvo isn't owned by Europeans.

Volvo Trucks is

 

[Lutherf]

Trump recently complained that Europe doesn't buy enough American cars but there are plenty of perfectly reason why we don't and in fact the UK used to buy an absolute shitload of US cars.

During the time of Tony Blair the talk was about politicians trying to capture the vote of the Mondeo Man (the Ford Mondeo was the top selling car for decades) who were middle class and seen as socially mobile at the time. That was a time when US companies could sell cars here and compete.

Now though US cars are larger than our roads can accomodate are not as fuel efficient and are just not designed with Europe in mind.

I don't think there's actually any anti-US bias when people buy a vehicle they just get the best they can for the budget they have and for a while that was the US then it was Japan and now it's Korea.

Do you think Europe has a vendetta against US auto makers as I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

In the 80's I did a few week TDY in Germany. Having a few days off I gathered up some buddies and took the opportunity to rent a car and drive as fast as I could on the Autobahn. Walking to the rental agency I had visions of Porches, BMWs and Mercedes. I got a Ford.

 

[Fledermaus]

In the 80's I did a few week TDY in Germany. Having a few days off I gathered up some buddies and took the opportunity to rent a car and drive as fast as I could on the Autobahn. Walking to the rental agency I had visions of Porches, BMWs and Mercedes. I got a Ford.

Rented a car in Spain. Knowing we were American they were apologizing profusely that there wasn't an automatic transmission car available for us.

They were relieved when the wife and I stated we drove stick. They assumed all Americans drove automatics.

 

[Lutherf]

Rented a car in Spain. Knowing we were American they were apologizing profusely that there wasn't an automatic transmission car available for us.

They were relieved when the wife and I stated we drove stick. They assumed all Americans drove automatics.

I've run into that before and it isn't surprising. A lot of people under 50 have never driven a standard.

Last time I was in Barcelona I got a hybrid. Pulled up to the gas station, popped the gas cover and found a plug. The people I was with (who don't drive) were amused.

 

[Rexedgar]

Rented a car in Spain. Knowing we were American they were apologizing profusely that there wasn't an automatic transmission car available for us.

They were relieved when the wife and I stated we drove stick. They assumed all Americans drove automatics.

I've run into that before and it isn't surprising. A lot of people under 50 have never driven a standard.

Last time I was in Barcelona I got a hybrid. Pulled up to the gas station, popped the gas cover and found a plug. The people I was with (who don't drive) were amused.

My buddy’s son never drove a stick shift, even though his dad drove one and he also never shaved with a blade when that time came. Kids have it too easy, when there is a hiccup, they are lost, IMO.

 

[Fledermaus]

My buddy’s son never drove a stick shift, even though his dad drove one and he also never shaved with a blade when that time came. Kids have it too easy, when there is a hiccup, they are lost, IMO.

I taught my kids stick in a 85hp B-150 full sized van. It was ugly but each learned.

I also taught them how to change tires. Both had GM products so I told them swap tires and I would buy new tires for the one with the worst set.

They removed all four tires from their cars and installed them on their sister's car. I looked at the two cars and said "the rim offset it wrong, swap them back".

And hour later they accomplished to swap back.

Neither child forgot how to change tires and have been able to do it in a downpour or at night in the boonies.

 

[Rexedgar]

I taught my kids stick in a 85hp B-150 full sized van. It was ugly but each learned.

I also taught them how to change tires. Both had GM products so I told them swap tires and I would buy new tires for the one with the worst set.

They removed all four tires from their cars and installed them on their sister's car. I looked at the two cars and said "the rim offset it wrong, swap them back".

And hour later they accomplished to swap back.

Neither child forgot how to change tires and have been able to do it in a downpour or at night in the boonies.

That Dodge had to be a tree shifter, floor is cake after that!

 

[Fledermaus]

That Dodge had to be a tree shifter, floor is cake after that!

Nope. Floor shift. You could get it on the Slant-6 option in the 1980s. Almost enough leverage as to make the clutch redundant when rolling along.

 

[Ahlevah]

Fun fact.. the biggest American Truck makers..owned by Europeans... Mercedes and Volvo specifically.

PACCAR—owner of Kenworth and Peterbilt—ain’t no slouch.

 

[Lutherf]

I taught my kids stick in a 85hp B-150 full sized van. It was ugly but each learned.

I also taught them how to change tires. Both had GM products so I told them swap tires and I would buy new tires for the one with the worst set.

They removed all four tires from their cars and installed them on their sister's car. I looked at the two cars and said "the rim offset it wrong, swap them back".

And hour later they accomplished to swap back.

Neither child forgot how to change tires and have been able to do it in a downpour or at night in the boonies.

Why must it ALWAYS be raining or when you're in a hurry that you get a flat?

 

[german hick]

I taught my kids stick in a 85hp B-150 full sized van. It was ugly but each learned.

I also taught them how to change tires. Both had GM products so I told them swap tires and I would buy new tires for the one with the worst set.

They removed all four tires from their cars and installed them on their sister's car. I looked at the two cars and said "the rim offset it wrong, swap them back".

And hour later they accomplished to swap back.

Neither child forgot how to change tires and have been able to do it in a downpour or at night in the boonies.

I forced my daughter to make the drining licence. Did cost me ~5000. And now she isn´t driving since 5 years. - "Daddy in the city you don´t need no Car" - she studies design an litrerature - no farmergirl

We used to learn shift with 10 on the tractor

 

[Bighorn66]

The trips that we have made to Europe, we have found the roads and streets, especially in smaller town, are not made with large vehicles. Cars, to the US drivers, are an extension of themselves. Many go into significant debt to keep up appearances. Europeans have been used to high fuel prices and they drive appropriate automobiles. Manual transmission is the standard, automatics are the rarity. TBF, the distances traveled are shorter for daily drivers in Europe, US drivers spend a large amount of time on the road, getting to and from work.

I remember one trip where we rented a car and toured a good portion of the Danish/Northern German area. The vehicle was a manual transmission and there was a feature that caused me concern until I had gotten used to it. When pulled up to traffic light and stopping and depressing the clutch causes the engine to stop. I thought for sure we would need a tow back to the rental counter. It seems this is a feature to save fuel ans when you release the clutch, the engine springs back to life. Not sure what this does to starter life.

Europeans see automobiles as a tool to do a job, Americans see a status symbol as well as transportation, imo.

It has shifted fast and automatic transmissions are more common on new cars. Of course, that includes EVs and most hybrids.

 

[Aristaeus]

That's a feature that saves petrol while stopped in traffic. It was popular for a while but isn't really a thing now as far as I know but I think you can have it as an option maybe?

I can see it being usefull in cities in the UK where traffic is a nightmare but some of those are electric only now with congetsion charges.
All taxis in London are now electric so they don't pay the daily charges for instance.

As far as I'm aware, stop/start is pretty standard on most cars, though you can turn it off.