Thanks to the Internet, it's easy to shop around these days. For a little over four grand you can get a new entry level Hindustan Ambassador ( if I did the currency conversion correctly), only problem is getting it home.
Any more bargains to be had worldwide? The Nigerian Peugeot 504 seems expensive at around £15K. What about other countries like China, Indonesia ?
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£4,000 for an Ambassador - having been in one for 10 hours what a rip off!!!
Wages in India (per annum):
Project manager: £5,220
Software engineer: £5,344
Accountant: £2,956
Sales rep: £2,464
Production worker: £964
Wages of less than £500 per annum are more typical, so £4,000 is very expensive. We in the UK (average wage £23,000) can still buy a brand new car to full EU spec for less than £6,000!
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A few corrections
Those wages are pretty low. Project managers and Software engineers in good companies get over 10000 pounds per annum.
Advent of Busienss Process Outsourcing sees Accountants wages also double. Sales reps and production workers start at above ranges but can rise depending where and who you work for.
People except taxi drivers and the government do not buy the Ambassador anymore. They buy the Maruti 800 - 1980's suzuki alto for 3000 pounds upwards. It sells but people prefer to stump up more for the Newer Alto, Wagon R and the Hyundai Amica (Santro to us) 4000 pounds plus
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Going off tangent a bit, but purchasing power does not relate to income alone! We might be able to get a EU spec car for £6,000 here, but many things are much cheaper in other countries. I got 5 tailor made suits for £50 each in India, when walking into Saville Row will set you back £2,500 minimum!
Middle East is great for buying cars at cheap prices - no income tax, and cheap gasoline ;-)
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Interestingly, the same Maruti 800 sells for approximately £5000 in Sri Lanka.
I am constantly amazed at the number of vehicles that ones gets to see on roads in Sri Lanka. Taxes and duty for petrol cars add up to approximately 190% of the CIF value (for diesels it is even higher - something like 250%). So, the RRP of a car is approximaltely 3xCIF value. In practise this means that something like a 318iSE costs £48,000 . Amazingly you find plenty of new cars in a country where the per capita income is around £1000.
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Cars made in india with over 50% local contect come out cheaper
Ford Fusions (a dud seller everywhre) - less than 10000 pounds
Ford Fiesta Saloons - 8-11000 pounds
Honda City - Jazz with a boot - 12000
Hyundai Elantra - 12000
Hyundai Accent - 8000
CKD cars 50% more than UK
Skoda Octavia 19tdi 90 20000 pounds (bits imported and screwed together)
Skoda Octavia 2 = 30000 pounds (yes - with DSG box 104 bhp diesel - fully loaded - renamed Laura which means something Genitally unmentionable in north India)
Merc C220d - 40000 pounds
Merc E270d - 50000 pounds
Fully imported
Ford mondeo = 25000 pounds
Skoda superb 2.5 TD = 35000 pounds
Merc SL500 - 120000 pounds
and these cars are selling well despite the price parity gap
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