Re: Extinction of 200 20vt <was economics of...

[only5kgt@uswest.net]

Ack! I actually *did* mean to get some lively discussion going here... sorry for
all the BW that's come out of it! But a few more thoughts. I originally compared
the Audi junking situation to the Vespa junking situation. A friend added the
Yamaha FJ1200 junking situation... all these bikes get stripped for the motor
(goes into a Legends car) and the rest is usually *thrown away*. Nice big bike.
Made in the thousands. Going extinct much faster than you'd think. Turns out
there exists an FJ1200 list, in fact. Sounds familiar.
The point I was driving at should have been backed up by a more precise
hypothetical situation. So, here it is. The 1985 US spec urQ. Let's just say that
those were frequently getting salvaged when in reasonable driving condition. How
many were there? 80 or so? Eventually, you are reducing your market to *buy* the
parts when you start taking really rare cars such as this (more extreme example)
apart! Soon your market is tiny, and it gets smaller every time one is disabled
(by accident or voluntary strip-down) until there, eventually, is no market. The
hypothetical '85 urQ is extinct at this point.

Beyond that (no, I don't propose legislation to save the 200tq. I know it's the
free market at work, and I never claimed I had a better solution) I was
originally just making the point that it's weird to see these inflating in price.
And to all those who dropped tips as to where one might be found, thanks. I just
can't afford it right now, though :)

The reason I was originally so saddened by this is *taste*. My priorities in a
car are, in no particular order: Power,handling,luxury,a certain heft which only
comes from something 5k size or a bit bigger,high quality feel, and *subtlety*. A
new S4 is far too boy-racerish for my liking. If you could get it with the ecru
leather and wood interior, and the complete exterior trim of the 2.8q, then, for
me, you'd have something there. As it is, it shouts performance in a way that
just doesn't do it for me.
The look , I mean. The 250HP turbomotor is just fine.

On the high end, this approach would get you something along the lines of a MBZ
6.9.On the low end, something like my 5kcst. In between you have something like a
200 20v, the highest performance Audi of its day in what amounts to a very
high-class plain brown wrapper. Which is just what I'm after. To each his own...
Regards,
Rob