Audi alive and WELL in Norway(Norge)

[Helge Wunderlich]

On Mon, 13 Jan 2003 07:58:09 -0800 (PST), Sheffield Corey wrote:

>more
>Audis on the streets of Oslo than I have ever seen before

A few years ago, the import tax system for cars was changed in way
that favors expensive makes. Since then, the number of Audi, BMW and
Mercedes has exploded. A stunning portion of them are second-hand
imported.

>and more
>"S's" than I have ever seen anywhere in my travels. Whether we drove
>into town or took the boat from my friend's place in SnarØya we never
>failed to see less than 4 S6 Avants in a day and we were there for
>week.

Again, the tax system. A car that can carry a box of certain
measurements, can be taxed as a "delivery truck", which means it will
be taxed very much lower. In such cars, no rear seat is allowed. I'm
not sure if the S6 is large enough to qualify for this, but if it is,
that would explain part of it. The measurements are continuously
increased. Some years ago, people were driving around in Porsche
delivery trucks :-)

...but I still think the S6 is fairly rare in Norway. I think you must
have been lucky. Were they two-seaters or five-seaters ? The price
difference is unbelievable.

>It would be safe to
>say that the economy in Norway is doing well...

That is a matter of definition. It's all thanks to the oil. Without
the oil, Norway's economy would be more like Poland's or something. It
is economy on life-support.

If the economy is so great, why do we pay 70-80 % tax ? Why do we pay
for our own medical treatment ? Why do we pay for our own dental
treatment ? Etc, etc.

It looks nice from the outside, but on the inside, it's all rotten,
and will collapse as soon as the life-support (oil) runs out.

--
Helge Wunderlich