I wouldn’t go that far. Car Max is basically the big box store version of a used car dealership. Because of the scale of it they can pay better than the trade in value of the car, still sell it for less than a “pre-owned” car at a usual dealership. But still provide a lot of the decent financing, service, and other nonsense that a new car dealership would.
I think its just they didn’t think it through. I think the thing was the extended warranty was a fixed percentage of the price regardless of the brand or model. So they figured the higher value of more expensive cars would cover it. But they didn’t account for very unreliable cars, or heavy depreciation on luxury cars.
They didn’t do the math essentially. But their customers did. And since CarMax will buy or sell any car provided its functional. People started buying vintage cars and weird luxury cars with the cheap warranty so CarMax was on the hook for a lot of what makes owning those expensive no matter how affordable they are to buy. They’ve since barred particular models and ages of cars from the warranty program. And started charging more for more expensive maintain cars.
Think it was supposed to be a loss leader sort of thing. The cheap and low maintenance cars that are the bulk of sales cover the expensive weird shit. But they got too good at selling the weird stuff, and too many people took them up on it.
I had an MGA for a while, and while trying to track down an electrical issue I discovered that the car had only 2 fuses, both 50-amp monsters, one of which was for the horn (!) and the other for everything else. O_o
Even in new(ish) European cars the electrics can be … questionable. The VW Passat that we had for a while was great before the electrical gremlins decided to take up residence. At least with the MG there weren’t that many wires to have to deal with when the inevitable happened.
I wouldn’t even limit it to European cars. The number of electrical and computer/sensor problems I had (or have seen) with Chevys from the late 90’s through the 00’s was astounding. And I’ve watched people have the same issues with pretty much every American brand save Fords.
My MGB had a pair of 6V batteries wired to give 12VDC; they were in wells under the package shelf behind the seats, nicely balanced on either side of the driveshaft tunnel. I ripped them out, spliced the 2 cables and put the smallest Sears DieHard 12V battery available in one of the wells. No more dead battery problem.
For the longest time British cars had the ground reversed compared to all other cars so things would be as odd as possible.
When the sort of A-and-B-road (Road classification) that British sports cars are designed for generally have a maximum speed limit of 60mph, are usually pretty narrow and winding, and often with lots of bends, some fairly sharp, then it comes home pretty quickly that a car like a Mazda/Miata MX-5, or a Lotus Elan, which the MX-5 owes its existence to, can very easily stay in front of any big-block American car, even leave it trailing well behind, possibly after the big muscle car has been eaten by the scenery, more than likely backwards.
Even small, higher powered sports cars like Porsche Carreras and TVRs have to tread lightly on our roads, they have to be treated with respect, because a high hedge with sixty-foot Oak, Ash or Beech trees growing in it will truly spoil your day, probably your life, when reversed into at 80 mph.
We do not drink warm beer! Ale should be served at cellar temperature, which is cool, not warm.
American beer, like Miller, Coors, Schlitz et all, are served highly chilled to cover up the fact that it’s totally lacking in flavour and alcohol. Drinking it is like making love in a boat. #rollseyes
Nearly all Sunbeam Tigers nowadays are heavily restored jobs with one or another non original pieces. All very expensive. The only one to get if you’re interested in performance is the Mk II with the 289 as the 260 is kinda a ho-hum engine. and the Mark 1 had handling problems. Otherwise if you like the looks just get an Alpine.
Mark IIs usually sell for way north of $100,000, and to find one for less than 6 figures virtually guarantees it is a hack with questionable provenance.
I was a serious Tiger shopper, looking for a Mark II, in the 80s and 90s until I realized I could buy a newer Turbo 911 (5 speed) or Carrera cheaper. And those things can be driven much harder without breaking - by FAR - as a Tiger.
Are basically built not to turn. Everything we typically think of as a muscle car was designed to be a large, practical family car. But to also have serious drag racing chops. So they were designed from minute one for straight line speed over a quarter or a half mile. And comfortable, low speed cruising on the US’s wide, straight or grid like streets.
Pretty much the polar opposite of the little British cars. Modern muscle cars are basically flashy, drag focused performance cars. Most of them still use leaf spring suspensions and I tend to think performance hatch backs and rally inspired cars better fit the original mentality that drove the muscle car.
Traditionally made British real/cask ale should be served at cellar temp.
Its also important to point out that British cellar temps are colder than whats considered cellar temp for wine, or what you might find in other bits of the world. That beer is cold, just not Coors light blue mountains cold. And even refrigerated European beer meant to be served cold cold is usually warmer than US beer.
American complaints about Brits and their warm beer are large down to having heard your Grandpa say that once about the time he visited London on a guided tour 60 years ago.
My father is soon to be listing his 1966 Tiger (original owner) for sale. These cars are demanding incredible amounts at the moment, even in the condition his is in (doesn’t run, body and interior need some serious love) it could fetch $40K.
Well, the MGB GT I got lifts in in my youth belonged to a guy who ran a garage, so…
He did manage to put in the wrong sparkplugs in my Alfasud, though. Boxers weren’t his speciality.
