More Skoda - no Audi content

["Ian J Haseltine" <Jim_Haseltine@msn.com>]

In the UK, both Skoda and Lada (another East European manufacturer) have 
reputations for old technology and poor quality. OTOH, the list prices of 
their most popular models are around half that of low range Fords and Rovers. 
Resale values are almost non-existent, for instance, last year I was looking 
for a cheap car that I could run through the winter, at one dealer in Leeds l 
found a Skoda coupe with 25k miles, 12 months MOT, 12 months road tax and the 
best black paint I have ever seen. Price 195GBP, yes thats right, 195GBP. 
Because of the number of Skoda jokes, I just didnt have the b*lls to be seen 
driving it. Skoda actually sold a convertable at one time, still fitted with a 
heated rear screen switch 'cos they didnt make blanking plates for the dash. 

Ladas are both imported into and exported from the UK, new ones come in and 
are sold to the public and when they reach the end of their useful life they 
are bought up by enterprising eastern european sailors and shipped back to the 
CIS as deck cargo. When Ladas arrive in the UK they are stripped to bare 
shells and rebuilt to meet UK standards (in a small plant near Bridlington on 
the east coast of Yorkshire). It is said that of all imported cars they are 
the only ones that dont suffer any form of theft while in the docks - 70% of 
imported Nissans have no radios when they leave the import compound.


Jim Haseltine
88 Ur quattro