UK import wagons

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

Does anyone know why all import wagons are either 320i or 520i? Was there a tax incentive in britain in the e30/e34 era for 2L and below or something?

[huff3r 347]

Maybe cos they are cheaper? Whereas by the time they get to NZ any model is expensive, so may as well go for the bigger displacement..

Just guessing here .

[MLM 57]

Probaby a result oil the 70's oil crisis which lasted into the 80's making petrol expensive and therefore small displacement popular.

Edited October 26, 2011 by MLM

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2920]

The vast majority of cars bought new in the UK are company sales, only 1 in 5 new cars is sold to a person rather than a business.

The whole company car tax system has been reviewed and changed a lot of times since the mid eighties, but iirc there was a graduated tax level which had certain cut off points. For example there could have been a cut of point at 20 grand for the car price, upto 19,999 you pay 3% tax on it, 20,000+ you pay 5% (or something similar).

Cetain cars used to come in just below the price breaks and others were just above, and in the UK there was certainly a big price jump from a 320i up to a 325i! My suggestion would be the 320i was the biggest engine you could get below the bottom company car tax break point and avoid paying extra tax on it.

The difference in fuel consumption between a 320i and 325i would hardly have been noticed, especially at 80s fuel prices - no-one really cared about the price of petrol in the 80s (well not until the recession right at the end of them anyways..).

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

The vast majority of cars bought new in the UK are company sales, only 1 in 5 new cars is sold to a person rather than a business.

The whole company car tax system has been reviewed and changed a lot of times since the mid eighties, but iirc there was a graduated tax level which had certain cut off points. For example there could have been a cut of point at 20 grand for the car price, upto 19,999 you pay 3% tax on it, 20,000+ you pay 5% (or something similar).

Cetain cars used to come in just below the price breaks and others were just above, and in the UK there was certainly a big price jump from a 320i up to a 325i! My suggestion would be the 320i was the biggest engine you could get below the bottom company car tax break point and avoid paying extra tax on it.

The difference in fuel consumption between a 320i and 325i would hardly have been noticed, especially at 80s fuel prices - no-one really cared about the price of petrol in the 80s (well not until the recession right at the end of them anyways..).

Ahh that makes sence! I was pretty sure it wouldnt be a fuel economy thing, as you say, noone cared then! Cheers!