No Reatta's On Cash For Clunkers List

[Howard]

Unless I'm overlooking something, thankfully there were no Reattas on the list of cars that were surrendered under the recent Cash For Clunkers Program. What is shocking, is some of the cars that do appear on the list. A shame, a real shame. The rules of the program state, that a vehicle had to have insurance and have current registration in the last year. It would seem that all of these cars were drivable. There was many cars I would think, as running vehicles, would be worth more than $4000. Maybe some people did not know what they really owned. Here is a link to the list: http://www.cars.gov/files/official-information/trade-in-vehicles.pdf

[Guest Richard D]

The Reatta was not allowed because it's gas mileage is higher than minimum mpg requirement.

[JWC]

GM had a site and I put the Reatta into the search and it came up the I could have got the $4500

[Guest kennyw]

my Saturn dealer did the Government search for Reatta. The 88 came up as 20 mpg combined and the rest, 19 mpg combined. They needed to be 18 mpg combined to be a clunker.........I don't know about the rest of you with drivers, but I would have taken $4,500 for my driver and drove away in something new. This Gov. program was one of the worst for u.s. taxpayers. If you ever see the stats you will see the tax payers got *****. It also had the effect of putting most of the lower end used car dealers out of business. A 100 lower end cars at the auction and a 1,000 small dealers trying to buy them. Prices are up 3 times what they were 4 months ago. I believe the number was 77,000 clunkers taken off the road. Someone correct me if this figure is wrong? Maryland, D. C. is one of the least hit parts of the country and still all you see is closed new car dealerships and used car lots. This is in addition to the dealerships that were just taken away.........Has anyone seen this on the nightly news???????? I expect grief for saying I would [clunker] my Reatta........Ken

[Doug Harness]

I was also relieved that there were no Reatta's on the list. I'm not sure what it means, but there were thousands of Jeep Cherokees on the list.

Some of the ones that surpised me were:

12 Alfa Romeo

97 Aston Martin

6 Maserati

1 Rolls Royce

683 Jaguar XJ6

1 - 2008 Toyota Avalon

1 - 2005 Thunderbird (50th Anniversary Edition?)

209 - 1984-87 El Caminos

52- Cadillac Allante

61- Pontiac Fiero

I've always liked the 1980's El Camino's, but haven't tried to buy one.

I agree with Howard that it was a shame to send some of these to the crusher.

[Bushwack]

I have been thinking of selling my Allante. But with 52 now recycled into lamp posts and re-bar, I think the car just appreciated a couple bucks.

[Guest Richard D]

I expect grief for saying I would [clunker] my Reatta........Ken

........I don't know about the rest of you with drivers, but I would have taken $4,500 for my driver and drove away in something new.

OK, Here it comes, I wonder how you would have felt after you made payments for 4 years on your new car and it still was not worth what you owed on it. Whatever floats your boat.

Edited September 26, 2009 by Richard D (see edit history)

[DAVES89]

I would suspect that there are a number of "daily Drivers" that would be C4C for $4500.00. Why not you can buy a great number of Reattas for less then $4500.00

[handmedownreatta]

I was also relieved that there were no Reatta's on the list. I'm not sure what it means, but there were thousands of Jeep Cherokees on the list.

Some of the ones that surpised me were:

12 Alfa Romeo better than 20 mpg

1 - 2008 Toyota Avalonbetter than 20 mpg......................

1 - 2005 Thunderbird (50th Anniversary Edition?)better than 20 mpg......

209 - 1984-87 El Caminos

52- Cadillac Allante better than 20 mpg............

61- Pontiac Fiero better than 20 mpg..........

I've always liked the 1980's El Camino's, but haven't tried to buy one.

I agree with Howard that it was a shame to send some of these to the crusher.

i was told my 89 camaro got too good gas mileage but all these cars get beter.....

[Thriller]

Regardless of the fuel economy, I was surprised at a few cars there...2004 Rainiers, 20 '84/'85 Riviera convertibles and over 50 hardtops, and a pile of Roadmaster wagons that so many people are trying to lay their hands on.

Granted some of these may not have been in the best of shape, but I'm really surprised (and disappointed) about some of them. I guess there may be no future collectible Buicks if they are all crushed when they get to be 5+ years old (not that they really seem to be making new collectibles, but that's another story). Perhaps not just the used car dealers will go out of business, but before long the automotive parts suppliers, body shops, restoration shops, the list goes on...along with the jobs and property / business taxes no longer generated.

Being Canadian, I didn't pay much attention to this program. I know there were domestic and foreign cars purchased through this program...was there are requirement that they be North American built, or at least have a minimum percentage of American parts / engineering work / whatever? Or did Uncle Sam just throw a bunch of money to the land of the rising sun?

[Guest Richard D]

I believe the top five brands bought under the C4C program were import brand vehicles. I may be wrong but I think Ford was number six.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

The sales tax and increased license fees on a new car made on any continent is equal to the rebate the Feds gave in the Cash for Clunker program. The program cost NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They took money out of one pocket and put it in the other.

Lets face it. $4500 for a rustbucket Reatta is a deal. Valuable parts could have been removed prior to trade in. The dealers couldn't have cared less.

CARS was a completely successful GOVERNMENT program.

[padgett]

Keep in mind that while a car may qualify, it may not qualify for the full $4500 (87 Fiero traded on a 2010 Solstice MAY qualify for $3500.

Second, that is off full MSRP. With some cars selling for much less, it is not much of a deal.

And OTOH, I cannot think of a 2010 car I would want to pay money for.

[wws944]

...was there are requirement that they be North American built, or at least have a minimum percentage of American parts / engineering work / whatever?

Of course not.

Or did Uncle Sam just throw a bunch of money to the land of the rising sun?

It has been reported that about 80% of the new car sales from C4C were from foreign brands. This was just 'feel good' legislation to placate the 'global warming' buffs that helped elect the current administration and congress. It made no economic sense whatsoever.

Funny thing is that of the 5 vehicles that I own, my Suburban would probably be the last one I'd sell. From a strictly utilitarian/transportation point of view, it is the only one that "does everything" we need.

Edited September 27, 2009 by wws944 (see edit history)

[Guest steveskyhawk]

The Cash for Clunkers program stimulated the economy, will reduce dependence on foreign oil and reduces pollution without the government spending a dime.

Nobody is required to participate.

[Ronnie]

Of course not.

It has been reported that about 80% of the new car sales from C4C were from foreign brands. This was just 'feel good' legislation to placate the 'global warming' buffs that helped elect the current administration and congress. It made no economic sense whatsoever.

Funny thing is that of the 5 vehicles that I own, my Suburban would probably be the last one I'd sell. From a strictly utilitarian/transportation point of view, it is the only one that "does everything" we need.

That is absolutely nonsense. A majority of those "foreign brands" were made right here in the USA. There is no such thing as American made cars versus foreign made cars anymore. The American Car companies have no loyalty to the buyers in America. They don't care who makes it. I wish all the cars that C4C helped sell were American brands but until they are I am happy to know that C4C helped to keep some Americans working.

If you think the sales of "foreign brands" did not help the economy just ask the folks who build them here in the USA, if they liked being able to keep their jobs that might have been lost if it were not for the C4C program. Yes, it did pacify some tree huggers but it also helped keep Americans working and that is something that is important.

You had better hang on to the Suburban as long as you can because the next one you get will probably have a lot of foreign parts in it regardless of what name is on it.

[jonlabree]

So tell me Ronnie, where do the profits from the sales of foreign cars go????

[Thriller]

OK...so the economy got stimulated, but what got the ball rolling was bad loans and people being over-extended on credit. So, how many folks bought new cars that were able to afford them in the long run? Rhetorical question there. A national economy is a much more complex animal.

I also don't know that pollution is reduced. Granted, the pollution produced as a direct result of an individual driving is reduced if they get better fuel economy. However, pollution isn't that simple either - there is all kinds produced as part of the manufacturing process and creating the plastics that are such a large part of new vehicles.

The largest exporter of oil to the USA is Canada. To reduce dependence on foreign oil really requires stopping burning it for all purposes, including heating and electrical power generation.

Anyway, before fanning flames too much more, I had just wanted folks to think a bit more about the overall impacts and not just a narrow focus.

[wws944]

Ronnie: About 50% of the cars bought under C4C were manufactured in the U.S.

Thriller: Correct on almost all points. We should also be using more domestic resources, and in smarter ways, too.

[Ronnie]

So tell me Ronnie, where do the profits from the sales of foreign cars go????

I don't know where all of it went but some of it went to keep American workers on the job. That was important to them. And it is important to me.

Sure the foregn companies got a lot of the profit from selling their cars but that is what American consumers chose to buy. Should we have prevented that from happening by not having the C4C program? At the expense of the American workers losing their houses because they lost their jobs and couldn't pay their mortgage?

I will stop here with this thread because it will lead to a discussion of politics and that is not allowed on this forum.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I think we should all agree that not a single Reatta was destroyed before its time and that is a good thing.