OK The Government wins !
 

For the last three years I've not been using the 75 that much averaging about 2500 miles per year. Yes I have enjoyed all of those miles but with the VED now at £305 for the year this is just the last straw.
On top of the VED is insurance, MOT and service which would mean around £700 being spent just for another 2500 miles.
I simply cannot justify running two cars, we're both now retired so one car can easily suffice our needs so after a run of 15 years driving Rover 75's mine will be laid up on SORN.

To think that I was probably be putting less emissions out in the 2500 miles than most of the "free road tax cars" will be, as they cover much higher mileage bugs me a lot.

I may decide at some time to sell the 75 but with its condition and what I've done to it I most certainly won't give it away. I have two other classics gradually appreciating in value and I've said for a few years that I've been considering selling my 1974 Vanden Plas Princess 1300 which has a very low mileage around 34k and is among the very last models built. It does require some paintwork to bring it back up to perfect condition but if I were to sell it this would make space to store the 75 inside until values come back up.

So the government wins again with their unfair tax system, I even lost out two weeks last year as the car was put back on the road on 14th June so whilst insurance and MOT will still be current until then the car does not have tax so I cannot legally drive it.

It's been a lovely 15 years, I've enjoyed every mile covered in first our 2002 diesel Connoisseur, then with the 2002 V6 added some 8 years later.
Both cars were built just days apart and delivered to the same Main Dealer in East Kilbride, quite a coincidence but when we purchased our new diesel 75 the V6 was sitting available for sale at the same time. I purchased it 8 years later with just 36k at a local dealer in Prestwick.

Thanks for the memories. :}

I feel your pain. Park it up and lift it off its wheels to preserve the tyres and suspension then wait for prices to rise.
I sold my Scimitar GTE last year and next year it will be tax free. It was costing me £230 per year to tax it and £100 to insure it. 3k miles per year.
When my MOT tester told me the emissions were cleaner than many 5 year old cars, no CAT, no ECU and just an old fashioned carburettor, it makes me grind my teeth with rage that every Government keeps telling me it should be scrapped as it's killing the planet. How is it doing that then?

:wot::iagree:

Just my observations about values.

My background is in Rover P6 four cylinders - they are a direct ancestor of the 75, so there are parallels.

When I first started looking at buying one, circa 1994, you could go to somewhere like Bromley Pageant and see lines of them, aged around 20 years old, in OK condition for sale for prices around £350-£500.

I bought my first one in 1997, when it was 25 years old, MOT'd, with 49k miles, history from new and generally very good with a few bodywork issues and a lack of recent servicing, for £800. Even fifteen years ago you could still find a reasonable roadgoing car for about £1000-£1200.

That same car as I bought in 1997 - in that condition - would now sell for circa £4k.

With Rover 75's the oldest are only approaching 19 years old. There's a long, long way to go, sadly, before the values start to increase, but increase they obviously will as numbers of decent, road going cars decrease.

From what I can see the average 75 is in the pure banger league at the moment, and will probably stay there for another circa ten years before they start to increase in value.

I have my 1998 75 on a classic car, limited mileage policy. That's worth considering with the right business (a lot of classic car insurers won't touch a car until it's at least 20 years old).

Also you could tax the car periodically, very easy to do via the DVLA online facilities, and SORN it for several months a year. I shall probably do that with my early 75.

Cheers
Nick

Why to people with wealth always feel hard done to?
 

Firstly, there are times when I am glad that we do not have a "negative thanks" facility on the forum. This is one of those times. :}

Secondly, this is not aimed at anyone in particular, certainly not Jim. But a general observation on many similar threads complaining about VED, price of fuel, price of insurance, price of y-fronts, etc.

So, here it goes.

When someone can affford to own four cars, including classics and prestige makes, it can be somewhat difficult to sympathise with their lot in life, as there are also people in the UK and around the world who are unable to afford sufficient quantities of food for themselves and their families. There are people without shelter over their heads dying of cold and hypothermia.

The country needs to tax the wealthy in order to provide support for the less fortunate. That is the only "fair" system of taxation and it doesn't really matter on what the taxes are applied. This is he only "fair and reasonable" approach to taxation.

As I said above, this is not aimed at anyone in particular, but I felt that it may be helpful to put matters into perspective.

Personally, as someone who owns five vehicles, I feel priviledged to earn/have sufficient wealth that I can afford to own/run these vehicles AND perhaps in some way make a small contribution towards the lives of those less fortunate than myself (through taxation!).

If you are fortunate enough to do so, just enjoy the cars and stop worrying about their "value" in terms of money!

Edit. The title should say "Why do..."

True that, cars cost what they cost and if you like the car you have then :shrug: Also there seem to be a few threads at the moment saying diesel 75's are now worthless, utter rubbish and petrol 75's will be taxed/banished just as much as the diesels because they are older cars. As mss says, just enjoy the cars you enjoy owning and driving. At least you probably actually own rather than rent them ;)

The tax system in this country is not fair or just. I have no problem with paying tax but I do not like being ripped off. Put the VED onto fuel purchase price then those who wear out the roads and pollute the air we breath the most pay the most .

My point was that there needs to be tax on wealth as well as use of facilities such as roads. There is already a tax on fuel - it is a large percentage of the price we pay.

I agree with you whole heartedly Maninder.

The tax system (In general - Not just VED) Has always been unfair, and probably always will be.