On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:57:24 +0700, wrote:


Mercedes, Gucci, I could go on and on,
but quality merchandize is there if one wants to buy it.

Mercedes is quality? Ha. Maybe fifty years ago. Now, it's **** with a
famous emblem, and Toyota means quality.


I'm not going to get into a long discussion about quality but to a
great extent quality is a perceived value. I have a Hong kong made
electronic watch that keeps as good time as my Rolex. Is quality
keeping accurate time or is it a stainless and gold bracelet that lets
people know I've made it?

To most of Asia a Mercedes is the epitome of car ownership. Is a
Mercedes really that good or does it make the neighbors drool?

A toyota is for the proletariat...

Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom)


One more point. In China private cars MUST be scrapped at 10 years.
Taxis at 8 years. There is no point making cars that will last 20
years or good for say 300,000 miles. For the price you pay it is
probably worthwhile to get a new $12,000 China made car every five
years rather than keep your $40,000 one on the road until it dies.
You rarely see stalled or delerict cars on China's roads. Chinese
models are made for the China market first. The export market is
miniscule.