I've recently noticed...

I wouldn't hold your breath for an answer! 

I dunno... that might not be a bad idea...

If I may interject my hypothesis (though I've not been in the UK)...

Could it be that because the cost of operating a car in the UK, regardless of whether it's a 15-year-old beater or a new Bentley, is somewhat higher than in the USA and that it's often something more of a luxury to begin with means that the relative savings between a cheaper car and a more expensive car aren't as prominent.

This is the main reason why you see more luxury cars in Manhattan than elsewhere, even when you control for affluence: once you're talking about hundreds of dollars a month to buy a parking space, the difference between a car that costs $200 a month to lease vs. one that costs $700 a month to lease becomes rather less significant.

Similarly, high fuel prices, in and of themselves, are unlikely to dent sales of the long-wheelbase full-size luxury cars (BMW's 760Li, for instance) too much, even though those cars get in the low-mid teens for gas mileage.  Many/most of the buyers of those are buying those for a chauffeur to drive them around in (the long wheelbase being primarily to get more legroom in the back), and the cost of paying a chauffeur reduces the relative increase in total operating cost (if you're using 100 gallons a month (60 miles roundtrip divided by 12 mpg times 20 days/month) and fuel triples from $2 to $6 a gallon and you're paying the chauffeur $2,500 a month, then the total goes from $2,700 to $3,100, a not-even 15% increase).

He said the actual cars were "all backwards and funny"

i may have posted this elsewhere but one way to have a great looking car and save some money is to go down the classic route. Pre 1973 cars do not pay road tax and insurance is cheap if you have an annual mileage limit. I run a 1977 jaguar coupe and a 1980 scimitar and pay about £200 a year insurance for the two with a 5000 mileage limit.

A good classic thats been well maintained is certainly worth looking at. useful sites are

www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk


www.carandclassic.com

I agree, Lisa.  Car = status, more so in the UK than in the US.  My ex-partner has a company car, new every three years and, like you, Tweets, I don't understand the relationship he has with the thing.  I confess, I'm not much of a car person, and was never impressed.  As long as it has four wheels, and it gets me where I want to go and back again, I couldn't care less.  I'm the type who would choose a car because I like the color!

This sounds like my wife as long as it runs well, and a solid body, is not red and feels comfy and has a good radio in it she is fine and doesn't cost much to run these days with the fuel hike.

Indy and Sonya

Well, as this thread seems to have been resuscitated.....

The whole year identifier on the plate business in Britain (first used in the 1960s) has certainly resulted in a growing "snob culture" from some people over the years.   They often seem to ignore the fact that in some cases a car with a "K" number might not actually be newer than one with a "J" number, or that one with an "S" number might have rolled off the production line on the same day as one with a "T" number, since it's merely the date of first registration which determines the letter (or the 01, 51, 02, etc. since 2001).   

How having a car registered on August 1st and getting one letter later on the plate than if the same car had been registered on July 31st makes it worth so much more is something I've never understood, and why anyone would be prepared that much extra for the same car just because of the plate is a mystery, but then I'm not interested in brand new cars anyway.

My current daily "runabout" is 20 years old, but I just can't really bring myself to think of a 1987 vehicle as being particularly old, certainly not even in the same way as I regarded my first 1964 car which I bought when passing my test in 1983.

If I can ever get myself a garage built here to provide shelter from the coastal elements, I'll be reverting to an older vehicle again.   Since I came back to England in 1996, the oldest car I've owned was a '66, the newest being my current '87 model.

He said the actual cars were "all backwards and funny"

Backwards as in right-hand drive?   Changing gear with the left hand if stick shift?   Maybe a reference to some other controls sometimes being in a different location, e.g. turn signal switch being on the right side of the steering column? 

I will ignore the backwards comment

I drove almost immediately in the UK, I got my license within 7mts of arriving and started taking lessons the week I moved there.

I bought a Daewoo Matiz (1999) T reg, 5 door and orange. I loved it for a while, but then realized I really wanted/needed more power, but couldn't afford it. DH drove a company car - 2004 audi A4, we both loved that car

When we moved to the US, the pound was strong and dollar weak (not much has changed in 6mts!) and we did well. DH has a 2005 Acura TL with built in sat-nav, sunroof, leather seats and a great engine. I have a 2007 Honda CRV. It was almost brand new and I LOVE it!!! I wouldn't change it for anything. We could afford better cars here, so we are both loving that part of moving back. I live in Dallas, TX, so most of the cars are new here. It's a huge business and there is a great local economy with many vain people, so new cars are all over the roads.