Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755) gives a definition for the word oats: "a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people."
- sorry couldn't resist it! - Warmtoast
To which, I seem to recall, his biographer James Boswell replied, "Aye, Sir, but where will you find such horses or such men."
- sorry, couldn't resist it!
Jack
- sorry couldn't resist it! - Warmtoast
To which, I seem to recall, his biographer James Boswell replied, "Aye, Sir, but where will you find such horses or such men."
- sorry, couldn't resist it!
Jack
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UJ
Thanks for that. I was trying, and failing miserably,to recall what the reply was!
I also seem to recall that someone said something like, "I would trust implicitly a man who eats the same food as he feeds to his horse."
Thanks for that. I was trying, and failing miserably,to recall what the reply was!
I also seem to recall that someone said something like, "I would trust implicitly a man who eats the same food as he feeds to his horse."
In exchange for flying favours my Army friends once kept me in ample supply of oatmeal blocks from their compo ration packs. The tasteless Sassenach regimentals said the blocks were like sawdust but I found them palatable, nutritious, and ideal for long solo trips or the civvy's intensive ops known as glider towing, when a couple of blocks and apples would keep me going all day. (The Tiger Moth does not lend itself to inflight meal service.)
Forty years later, I still look forward to my breakfast porridge, and sympathise with the Tory peer who was excoriated for saying that the needy should eat porridge at 4p a serving. Folk south of the border don't know what they're missing.
Forty years later, I still look forward to my breakfast porridge, and sympathise with the Tory peer who was excoriated for saying that the needy should eat porridge at 4p a serving. Folk south of the border don't know what they're missing.
OffshoreSLF:-
YLSNED! Thank you. Wiki of course knows all about it and tells us that:-
So Beckman's graph is calibrated in half imperial gallons. Having said that, wiki rather muddies the water by also saying:-
Beckman was American, so it seems his choice of unit was not as arcane (for him at least) as one might have supposed.
Danny:-
With due respect to your ingenious economist, who used the Mars bar as a constant for comparison, I cite wiki again in evidence:-
I therefore consider my choice of unit, the Imperial Pint (or even the Litre for any Europhiles) of beer as superior in every way. I rest my case M'Lud.
The Winchester Measure was a system of weights and measures used in the Kingdom of Wessex in Anglo-Saxon times, and was adopted by Henry VII as the English Standard
The Winchester quart is an archaic measure,[11] roughly equal to 2 Imperial quarts or 2.25 litres. The 2.5 litre bottles in which laboratory chemicals are supplied are sometimes referred to as Winchester quart bottles, although they contain slightly more than a traditional Winchester quart.
In 1836, the United States Department of the Treasury formally adopted the Winchester bushel as the standard for dealing in grain and, defined as 2,150.42 cubic inches, it remains so today.
Danny:-
With due respect to your ingenious economist, who used the Mars bar as a constant for comparison, I cite wiki again in evidence:-
In the second half of 2008, Mars UK reduced the size of regular bars from 62.5 g to the current 58 g. Although the reduction in size was not publicised at the time, Mars claimed the change was designed to help tackle the obesity crisis in the UK. The company later confirmed that the real reason for the change was triggered by rising costs.... As of 2013, the 'standard' Mars bar has shrunk once again to 51g in weight.
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Economics Made Simple.
Chugalug,
Where do I start ? - you've twanged the strings of memory in so many ways ! I well remember the "Winchester Quart Bottles", but never knew the derivation - until now ! YLSNED ! "Cubic Inches" rings a bell: our American friends, stoutly adhering to Imperial measures when we've basely abandoned them, measure engine (aero and car) capacity in this way. (Hence their expression: "There's no substitute for Cubic Inches" - their equivalent of our: "A good big 'un's always better than a good little 'un".
And I've long suspected that the Mars Bar had slimmed-down a little over the years, but put it down to the rose-tinted hue of our pasts. However, I must say that "designed to tackle the obesity crisis in the UK" would have my vote as the "Barest-Face Lie of the Year".
We all know what causes obesity - eating too much (a fat [living] prisoner never came out of Belsen or Auschwitz, or back from the Burma railway, yet). We all know how to "tackle" it - eat less ! I'm afraid I have no sympathy with the "clinically" obese. Smugly, I assert that I'm the same weight now as I was at 23, never varied much, my BMI today is 21.
Look at the wartime aircrew pictures on this Thread: how many Billy Bunters do you see ?
But back to the Mars Bar, I am out-gunned by m'learned friend's exposition, m' Lud, must recalculate as 60.0x62.5/51.0 = 73.5, which rather knocks the bottom out of m' client's case, m' Lud. Yet: "Man does not live by Mars Bar alone...." but that is irrelevant as we are talking about averages. Therefore I concede, m'Lud (and no, my client will not get his money back).
Cheers, Danny.
Where do I start ? - you've twanged the strings of memory in so many ways ! I well remember the "Winchester Quart Bottles", but never knew the derivation - until now ! YLSNED ! "Cubic Inches" rings a bell: our American friends, stoutly adhering to Imperial measures when we've basely abandoned them, measure engine (aero and car) capacity in this way. (Hence their expression: "There's no substitute for Cubic Inches" - their equivalent of our: "A good big 'un's always better than a good little 'un".
And I've long suspected that the Mars Bar had slimmed-down a little over the years, but put it down to the rose-tinted hue of our pasts. However, I must say that "designed to tackle the obesity crisis in the UK" would have my vote as the "Barest-Face Lie of the Year".
We all know what causes obesity - eating too much (a fat [living] prisoner never came out of Belsen or Auschwitz, or back from the Burma railway, yet). We all know how to "tackle" it - eat less ! I'm afraid I have no sympathy with the "clinically" obese. Smugly, I assert that I'm the same weight now as I was at 23, never varied much, my BMI today is 21.
Look at the wartime aircrew pictures on this Thread: how many Billy Bunters do you see ?
But back to the Mars Bar, I am out-gunned by m'learned friend's exposition, m' Lud, must recalculate as 60.0x62.5/51.0 = 73.5, which rather knocks the bottom out of m' client's case, m' Lud. Yet: "Man does not live by Mars Bar alone...." but that is irrelevant as we are talking about averages. Therefore I concede, m'Lud (and no, my client will not get his money back).
Cheers, Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 14th Dec 2014 at 12:04. Reason: Spacing.
As of 2013, the 'standard' Mars bar has shrunk once again to 51g in weight.
Units of Exchange
Before I left in 1997 I did an Open University MBA to help sell myself in the world outside. Much of the material was (with attribution) taken from the Harvrad Business School whose world standard unit of exchange was the BigMac. This was on the basis that it was an entirely standard product and that no matter where you were if you asked for a BigMac that was exactly what you got. At that time MacD was just moving into Russia and China so it did prove to be a useful comparator in ways that the official exchange rates were not.
Xercules, thank you for contributing the Big Mac to our search for the Holy Grail of economic comparators. It is indeed a renowned one as Wiki (yet again) testifies to:-
Big Mac Index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are some interesting lists of countries at the foot of the page (in none of which the UK features) showing in turn;
The Six Most Expensive, based on rate of exchange
The Six most Affordable, based on rate of exchange
The Eleven Fastest Earned
The Eleven Slowest Earned
Perhaps we in the UK should take some solace from not being at any of those extremes, and similarly of being at the lower end of the fat content of Big Macs (for it varied World Wide from 22g to 30.5g when the table was created, the latest date in the article being 2008):-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac
So once again we see that a supposedly constant unit isn't, and of course my standard beer isn't, as it varies in size and content throughout the world. Is this why we lurch from crisis to crisis, from boom to bust? Is there not a single standard item available everywhere that varies only in price? How about the humble HB pencil for instance?
Oh, BTW Danny, your suspicions of the ever shrinking Mars Bar were only too true. Other confectioneries have followed suit. The large tins (which are now plastic) now piled high in Supermarkets and slashed to £4.00 for Quality Street, Celebrations, etc, are it seems not so large, being around 730g. Next time you are in your garage, dig out that old Quality Street tin in which you store those oh so important bits and pieces. Chances are it will be marked in excess of 1Kg!
Big Mac Index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are some interesting lists of countries at the foot of the page (in none of which the UK features) showing in turn;
The Six Most Expensive, based on rate of exchange
The Six most Affordable, based on rate of exchange
The Eleven Fastest Earned
The Eleven Slowest Earned
Perhaps we in the UK should take some solace from not being at any of those extremes, and similarly of being at the lower end of the fat content of Big Macs (for it varied World Wide from 22g to 30.5g when the table was created, the latest date in the article being 2008):-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac
So once again we see that a supposedly constant unit isn't, and of course my standard beer isn't, as it varies in size and content throughout the world. Is this why we lurch from crisis to crisis, from boom to bust? Is there not a single standard item available everywhere that varies only in price? How about the humble HB pencil for instance?
Oh, BTW Danny, your suspicions of the ever shrinking Mars Bar were only too true. Other confectioneries have followed suit. The large tins (which are now plastic) now piled high in Supermarkets and slashed to £4.00 for Quality Street, Celebrations, etc, are it seems not so large, being around 730g. Next time you are in your garage, dig out that old Quality Street tin in which you store those oh so important bits and pieces. Chances are it will be marked in excess of 1Kg!
Last edited by Chugalug2; 15th Dec 2014 at 10:04.
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Fascinating wiki
And the GBP/USD currently stands at 1.566, which IME seems to be a fairly typical rate over the last few years [odd peaks and troughs excepted)
For example, using figures in July 2008:[5]
the price of a Big Mac was $3.57 in the United States (varies by store)
the price of a Big Mac was £2.29 in the United Kingdom (varies by region)
the implied purchasing power parity was $1.56 to £1, that is $3.57/£2.29 = 1.56
this compares with an actual exchange rate of $2.00 to £1 at the time
(2.00-1.56)/1.56 = 28%
the pound was thus overvalued against the dollar by 28%
the price of a Big Mac was $3.57 in the United States (varies by store)
the price of a Big Mac was £2.29 in the United Kingdom (varies by region)
the implied purchasing power parity was $1.56 to £1, that is $3.57/£2.29 = 1.56
this compares with an actual exchange rate of $2.00 to £1 at the time
(2.00-1.56)/1.56 = 28%
the pound was thus overvalued against the dollar by 28%
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Chugalug,
I like that first table you refer to. Could there possibly be a place which is among both the 11 Fastest Earned and the 6 Most Affordable ? - so that I may harness my Zimmer frame to Santa's reindeer and fly off to this Shangri-la (not forgetting Mrs D. of course)!
I think the can of worms I unloosed should be rounded up and returned to durance vile. Even the Big Mac (Xercules and MPN11) stands or falls by the quality of the beef (or horse as may be) therein: most of the popular packet "curries", lasagnes and cannalonis on the shelves today seem based on browned sawdust.
There is one product (rather a service, really) which is the same everywhere and always, but we are still before the watershed tonight.
It is said that, if you consult 99 economists on a problem, you'll probably get 100 different answers !
Sad thing is: now that these discounted tins of "Quality Street" and the like are all around, I have lost my taste for the stuff !
Danny.
I like that first table you refer to. Could there possibly be a place which is among both the 11 Fastest Earned and the 6 Most Affordable ? - so that I may harness my Zimmer frame to Santa's reindeer and fly off to this Shangri-la (not forgetting Mrs D. of course)!
I think the can of worms I unloosed should be rounded up and returned to durance vile. Even the Big Mac (Xercules and MPN11) stands or falls by the quality of the beef (or horse as may be) therein: most of the popular packet "curries", lasagnes and cannalonis on the shelves today seem based on browned sawdust.
There is one product (rather a service, really) which is the same everywhere and always, but we are still before the watershed tonight.
It is said that, if you consult 99 economists on a problem, you'll probably get 100 different answers !
Sad thing is: now that these discounted tins of "Quality Street" and the like are all around, I have lost my taste for the stuff !
Danny.
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Danny Gets it Right (for once)
I have to admit that there is a silver lining to the inflation cloud - it can hugely benefit a borrower. I am a case in point. When I bought my present house forty years ago, I was persuaded by my trusted insurance broker to go for a 15-year interest-only mortgage backed by an endowment policy for the 59% loan I needed.
15 years later I came out with a bonus which provided me with:
(a) The return of all monies paid by way of premiums and mortgage interest (with MIRAS) over the 15 years;
(b) The benefit of living rent-free in a pleasant house for the 15 years (typical current rents are locally £800/mth);
(c) The house itself freehold (then worth eight times its purchase price), and
(d) A cash sum roughly equivalent to twice (a).
Can't be bad. Of course the inflation factor over the 14 years had been 4.2,
consequently I had borrowed good money and paid back bad - but that's the
way it works. Didn't work in later years, circumstances had changed and cases
are common now where the payout can't even cover the outstanding loan.
You can't lose 'em all !
Evenin' all.
Danny42C
15 years later I came out with a bonus which provided me with:
(a) The return of all monies paid by way of premiums and mortgage interest (with MIRAS) over the 15 years;
(b) The benefit of living rent-free in a pleasant house for the 15 years (typical current rents are locally £800/mth);
(c) The house itself freehold (then worth eight times its purchase price), and
(d) A cash sum roughly equivalent to twice (a).
Can't be bad. Of course the inflation factor over the 14 years had been 4.2,
consequently I had borrowed good money and paid back bad - but that's the
way it works. Didn't work in later years, circumstances had changed and cases
are common now where the payout can't even cover the outstanding loan.
You can't lose 'em all !
Evenin' all.
Danny42C
In my dreams Danny
I suspect I have just read a post on "the luck of the Irish"! Long may it continue. Best wishes for the season Sir, and respect for your wisdom in economic matters.
Smudge
I suspect I have just read a post on "the luck of the Irish"! Long may it continue. Best wishes for the season Sir, and respect for your wisdom in economic matters.Smudge
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Luck of the Irish ?
Smudge,
And to you, Sir !
Knock off the "wisdom in economic matters" ! We're all carried along like leaves in a torrent - and I fear a waterfall ahead. (around 20 years ago the British Government had to pay 15% for its money !)
My mortgage was at 11% (around 8% after MIRAS).
Could happen again before long.
Danny.
And to you, Sir !
Knock off the "wisdom in economic matters" ! We're all carried along like leaves in a torrent - and I fear a waterfall ahead. (around 20 years ago the British Government had to pay 15% for its money !)
My mortgage was at 11% (around 8% after MIRAS).
Could happen again before long.
Danny.
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Danny muses on the cheapest way to remain on wheels
When we can force our minds to consider the cost of running our cars, the one great Elephant in the Room (from which we all avert our eyes) is Depreciation. Those whose terms of employment include a car provided by their employers are fortunate indeed. The rest of us poor mortals have to shift as best we may.
The first principle is: No one who is paying for his car out of taxed income can regularly afford a new one (unless he be a Premier League Footballer, or paid on a similar astronomical scale). The rest (which includes impecunious junior RAF officers) have to adopt one of two policies.
Either buy a new one and run it till it falls apart, scrap it and write-off the whole purchase cost over the period, buy another new one and do the same again. I tried this, bought a new Peugeot in Paris for £550 in '60, while serving in RAF(G), got rid of it in '73 for £50, Depreciation over 13 years: £38/annum, (and it didn't cost much by way of repairs).
This was replaced by a new Renault for £1500, went for scrap after 11 years, after enough trouble to last a lifetime.
Depreciation £136/annum (and as the inflation factor over the period was 3.1, not too far out of line).
Then I went into the 2/h market. First I took over (and paid the balance of her repayments on !) daughter's 5yr old Renault 5 TL (bought by her a year before for £1200 2/h). A nice little car, perhaps the best of the superminis of the time, I unloaded it in March '86 for £750. Between us we had had the car about three years. I suppose the overall cost of the car (down payments plus instalments) would be around £1600, so the depreciation was £850 approx: or £240/annum. Not too bad.
In March'86, the £750 went towards a 6yr old Renault 18 Estate at £1300. After 7 yrs and 80,000 miles with little trouble, replacement cost against a 6yr old Montego VDP was £1800; depreciation £260/annum.
The Montego only ran 31000 miles in its 6 years with us as I had retired a second time, and for good now. One day my wife "gave it wellie" on a motorway to get past something, there was a hell of a bang.
"What the 
are you doing ?" I demanded (none too gently). Relations were a trifle strained until after the next pit stop. I was driving and the same happened to me (wife gloated). The kick-down had gone on the blink. Autobox repair would cost more than the car was worth: get rid of it !
That was followed in October '99 by a 7 yr old Rover 216 (the Honda-engined one), replacement cost £2500, or £420/annum depreciation on the Montego. The Rover was a good car, but the rot had set in. After 48000 miles in 9 years, that had to go for scrap in September '08, depreciation £280/annum.
I would suggest that this is as low as you can hope to get and still have fairly reliable motoring. In summary, this was my plan: buy a decent 6 yr old in the £2-3000 range, run it for another 6 years, get rid while it is still a runner with a MOT and buy another six year old. The plan absolutely depends on having a local trustworthy skilled independent motor mechanic on whom you can absolutely rely (and we have such a treasure: Mark has been with us now for at least 30 years and is a family friend) and have him go over your intended purchase with a fine tooth-comb (in addition to AA/RAC and all the other normal checks).
Merry Christmas to you all,
Danny.
The first principle is: No one who is paying for his car out of taxed income can regularly afford a new one (unless he be a Premier League Footballer, or paid on a similar astronomical scale). The rest (which includes impecunious junior RAF officers) have to adopt one of two policies.
Either buy a new one and run it till it falls apart, scrap it and write-off the whole purchase cost over the period, buy another new one and do the same again. I tried this, bought a new Peugeot in Paris for £550 in '60, while serving in RAF(G), got rid of it in '73 for £50, Depreciation over 13 years: £38/annum, (and it didn't cost much by way of repairs).
This was replaced by a new Renault for £1500, went for scrap after 11 years, after enough trouble to last a lifetime.
Depreciation £136/annum (and as the inflation factor over the period was 3.1, not too far out of line).Then I went into the 2/h market. First I took over (and paid the balance of her repayments on !) daughter's 5yr old Renault 5 TL (bought by her a year before for £1200 2/h). A nice little car, perhaps the best of the superminis of the time, I unloaded it in March '86 for £750. Between us we had had the car about three years. I suppose the overall cost of the car (down payments plus instalments) would be around £1600, so the depreciation was £850 approx: or £240/annum. Not too bad.
In March'86, the £750 went towards a 6yr old Renault 18 Estate at £1300. After 7 yrs and 80,000 miles with little trouble, replacement cost against a 6yr old Montego VDP was £1800; depreciation £260/annum.
The Montego only ran 31000 miles in its 6 years with us as I had retired a second time, and for good now. One day my wife "gave it wellie" on a motorway to get past something, there was a hell of a bang.
"What the are you doing ?" I demanded (none too gently). Relations were a trifle strained until after the next pit stop. I was driving and the same happened to me (wife gloated). The kick-down had gone on the blink. Autobox repair would cost more than the car was worth: get rid of it !That was followed in October '99 by a 7 yr old Rover 216 (the Honda-engined one), replacement cost £2500, or £420/annum depreciation on the Montego. The Rover was a good car, but the rot had set in. After 48000 miles in 9 years, that had to go for scrap in September '08, depreciation £280/annum.
I would suggest that this is as low as you can hope to get and still have fairly reliable motoring. In summary, this was my plan: buy a decent 6 yr old in the £2-3000 range, run it for another 6 years, get rid while it is still a runner with a MOT and buy another six year old. The plan absolutely depends on having a local trustworthy skilled independent motor mechanic on whom you can absolutely rely (and we have such a treasure: Mark has been with us now for at least 30 years and is a family friend) and have him go over your intended purchase with a fine tooth-comb (in addition to AA/RAC and all the other normal checks).
Merry Christmas to you all,
Danny.
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Danny42C ... a very Happy Christmas to yo too, Sir, and a contented 2015. Glad you're still kicking and posting [albeit on cars!].
Ahhh ... depreciation!! You either ignore it, suck it up or regret it!
I won't bore with my list [all on file] of the last 50 years of car-buying, but a tragic tale may amuse.
I went to replace my Mazda 626, from my local dealer, in 1988. Nice car, in excellent condition, being only some 24 months old with 13,000 on the clock. Like for like negotiations began ... I had paid £9750 2 years earlier. Well, a lot less after trading in the previous one, I got £6750 for that, so £3,000 for a new car. Nice!
But the offer I received in 1990 for another new 626 was cr@p. A bit of murmuring in the local paper, and I ended up [in Oct 90] getting £6,950 for the 2-yo Mazda, and drove away in a 3-yo Jaguar XJ6 3.6L for an extra £8,000. Which 18 months later [Mar 92] I exchanged for a 2-yo 4.0L one, costing me an extra £10,500. And then in Feb 94 I did it again, this time for a 1-yo ex-manager's XK6 4.0L, costing me another £10k.
What was that over 6 years? I can't bear to add it up!
In retrospect, it was completely crazy ... but we were both high earners, no kids, no mortgage and no time to go on holiday, even if we could both get leave at the same time! Loved the Jags, though!
I won't start the discussion about how I ended up with a Peugeot iOn all-electric
Ahhh ... depreciation!! You either ignore it, suck it up or regret it!
I won't bore with my list [all on file] of the last 50 years of car-buying, but a tragic tale may amuse.
I went to replace my Mazda 626, from my local dealer, in 1988. Nice car, in excellent condition, being only some 24 months old with 13,000 on the clock. Like for like negotiations began ... I had paid £9750 2 years earlier. Well, a lot less after trading in the previous one, I got £6750 for that, so £3,000 for a new car. Nice!
But the offer I received in 1990 for another new 626 was cr@p. A bit of murmuring in the local paper, and I ended up [in Oct 90] getting £6,950 for the 2-yo Mazda, and drove away in a 3-yo Jaguar XJ6 3.6L for an extra £8,000. Which 18 months later [Mar 92] I exchanged for a 2-yo 4.0L one, costing me an extra £10,500. And then in Feb 94 I did it again, this time for a 1-yo ex-manager's XK6 4.0L, costing me another £10k.
What was that over 6 years? I can't bear to add it up!
In retrospect, it was completely crazy ... but we were both high earners, no kids, no mortgage and no time to go on holiday, even if we could both get leave at the same time! Loved the Jags, though!
I won't start the discussion about how I ended up with a Peugeot iOn all-electric
As we approach the festive season can I proffer my sincere wishes for a great Christmas and New Year to all who post, and follow, this most venerable thread. Of course, as in all good crew rooms, we should expect some Christmas treats from our senior members, who I suspect may have a few stories to tell. Meanwhile, I offer a rendering from my past by Patricia Rielly, a talented artist indeed.
Seasons Greetings to all.
Smudge
Seasons Greetings to all.
Smudge
Dogle's Law (depreciation, used cars, for the purchase of).
Danny is so right, and the impecunious young officer of today would do well to note his words of wisdom (likewise perhaps the not-so-young!).
(Of course in the immediate aftermath of the war, most car production was exported to help relieve the Nation's bankruptcy and domestic sales were, in effect, carefully 'rationed' - indeed even such things as sugar and sweets were strictly rationed until the early 50's - so unless you could convince the Ministry you had 'essential need' of a new car, forget it, you had to make do with what you could get in a limited pool of well-worn stuff. A working car of any age was something to be prized - the infliction of the MoT was far in the future).
Years ago I did some serious study of car price depreciation, hoping to contain my motoring costs in leaner years ahead (and, by a minor miracle, I have today been able to find my results). I was quite surprised to see a remarkable consistency in the depreciation curves over a wide range of some 10 makes and models over some 7 years. Apart from just a very few obvious singularities - sudden, sharp price drops which I tentatively assumed to result from a manufacturer's launch of a brand new model range - they all followed pretty regular exponential decay patterns with a half-life of around 3.3 years.
The curves of course ultimately flatten into a 'banger zone' where price becomes MoT-dependent, and I should stress that this was about price of used cars only - the eye-watering first-year depreciation of a new car is legendary.
Like Danny, I concluded that if one could choose, with particular care, a steed approaching the shallower end of the curve - an independent advisor like Danny's Mark is surely a jewel - a good old 'un would actually save quite serious money. For me, it certainly has, because since buying one at a "disposable" price - which then went on to serve me well for more than ten years! - I have not been afraid to go even further down the depreciation curves than Danny's suggested 8 years (but with sharp eyes!).
Of course if your CO, not coming from that generation for whom just ANY car was a precious thing, considers it important to have the latest model in her driveway, you are stumped ....
Here is a little Christmas present, c/o HMG, for the bold reader keen to apply Danny's good 'gen:
https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history-vehicle
(Of course in the immediate aftermath of the war, most car production was exported to help relieve the Nation's bankruptcy and domestic sales were, in effect, carefully 'rationed' - indeed even such things as sugar and sweets were strictly rationed until the early 50's - so unless you could convince the Ministry you had 'essential need' of a new car, forget it, you had to make do with what you could get in a limited pool of well-worn stuff. A working car of any age was something to be prized - the infliction of the MoT was far in the future).
Years ago I did some serious study of car price depreciation, hoping to contain my motoring costs in leaner years ahead (and, by a minor miracle, I have today been able to find my results). I was quite surprised to see a remarkable consistency in the depreciation curves over a wide range of some 10 makes and models over some 7 years. Apart from just a very few obvious singularities - sudden, sharp price drops which I tentatively assumed to result from a manufacturer's launch of a brand new model range - they all followed pretty regular exponential decay patterns with a half-life of around 3.3 years.
The curves of course ultimately flatten into a 'banger zone' where price becomes MoT-dependent, and I should stress that this was about price of used cars only - the eye-watering first-year depreciation of a new car is legendary.
Like Danny, I concluded that if one could choose, with particular care, a steed approaching the shallower end of the curve - an independent advisor like Danny's Mark is surely a jewel - a good old 'un would actually save quite serious money. For me, it certainly has, because since buying one at a "disposable" price - which then went on to serve me well for more than ten years! - I have not been afraid to go even further down the depreciation curves than Danny's suggested 8 years (but with sharp eyes!).
Of course if your CO, not coming from that generation for whom just ANY car was a precious thing, considers it important to have the latest model in her driveway, you are stumped ....
Here is a little Christmas present, c/o HMG, for the bold reader keen to apply Danny's good 'gen:
https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history-vehicle
The banger end of the market served me well for many years. Buy a car for a few tens of pounds, run it until it either disintegrates or the cost to fix it is more than the car's worth.
That's probably only practical if you can fix it yourself which fortunately I could.
Using that policy through the 70's amongst a couple of others I had a hotted up Herald coupe, a couple of Vauxhall Crestas and a 3.4 Mk2 Jaguar and all lasted more than just one year. The Jag was by far the most expensive at £50!
That's probably only practical if you can fix it yourself which fortunately I could.
Using that policy through the 70's amongst a couple of others I had a hotted up Herald coupe, a couple of Vauxhall Crestas and a 3.4 Mk2 Jaguar and all lasted more than just one year. The Jag was by far the most expensive at £50!
Depreciation? No problem!
In 1945 £50 would buy an immaculate Tiger Moth, nice little runner, one careful owner, finished two-tone earth brown/pasture green with attractive yellow underside, suit beginner.
In 1965 it could be bought in France for around £350, admittedly needing much work but often with good engine hours. It took me some eight months part-time to rebuild one such veteran, which I sold for £3000 in 1974.
Several Tiger Moths are now on offer at prices up to £57,000. All you need is 400 yds of grass at each end of your journey. Indeed Tesco car parks will do fine, Tiger Moths don't do crosswinds on tarmac but the way Tesco sales are going they'll be glad to turf them for you, and the 50lb rear locker weight limit will help keep off aviator's avoirdupois.
So there you are, young pPruners. Beat depreciation with a Tiger Moth, your flying pension fund
In 1965 it could be bought in France for around £350, admittedly needing much work but often with good engine hours. It took me some eight months part-time to rebuild one such veteran, which I sold for £3000 in 1974.
Several Tiger Moths are now on offer at prices up to £57,000. All you need is 400 yds of grass at each end of your journey. Indeed Tesco car parks will do fine, Tiger Moths don't do crosswinds on tarmac but the way Tesco sales are going they'll be glad to turf them for you, and the 50lb rear locker weight limit will help keep off aviator's avoirdupois.
So there you are, young pPruners. Beat depreciation with a Tiger Moth, your flying pension fund