Joined: May 2018 Posts: 2,974 Threads: 560
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Location: Peak District, Derbyshire
Car type: 1929 Chummy, 1930 Chummy, 1930 Ulster Replica, 1934 Ruby
"Almost from the moment that the first automobile took to the roads led by a pedestrian waving a red flag, the motorist has been clobbered by the chancellor of the exchequer. The first to seize the opportunity to raise money from the internal combustion engine was David Lloyd George who, in his so-called People’s Budget of 1909, introduced petrol duty setting the rate at 3d a gallon. That brought the price of a gallon to 1s 1½d, equivalent to about £7 – pretty much where it is now."
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 433 Threads: 35
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Location: Garden of England
Car type: ARQ Ruby July 1936
I guess the difference back then was only a very small minority of the populous were rich enough to own a vehicle, unlike today where, with the exception of the main towns and cities, people are more or less dependant on their vehicles as their everyday means of transport but do not necessarily have the funds to meet the current fuel and energy bills.
This I quickly add is not meant in any way a political view just an observation!!
Joined: Jan 2019 Posts: 1,571 Threads: 20
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Location: Bala North Wales
Car type: 1933 RP Standard Saloon
23-03-2022, 12:41 PM
(This post was last modified: 23-03-2022, 12:41 PM by David Stepney.)
You are not being in any way political, Dennis, just stating facts. I have just had to pay 88p per litre for heating oil whilst petrol around here is about £1.72 a litre. Somewhat difficult if one is on a fixed income.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,033 Threads: 54
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Location: The delightful town of Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
If petrol gets beyond people's means they might find ways to use less. That might mean less pollution and that might lead to less climate change, and polar ice caps might not melt so we might not have all our seaside towns flooded.
To use less petrol people might choose to live nearer to work. People might drive slower, drive smaller cars etc.
Just stating facts.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,230 Threads: 33
Reputation:
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Location: Salop
Car type: '28 GE Cup. '28 AD Chummy '30 RL Saloon. '34 RP Saloon. Too Many toys!
Covid has already changed the way many of us work. Permanently
Instead of driving 20odd miles to the nearest big(er) town office every day, then 20odd miles back.
I've taken a job where there are more staff than desks, because they shut the more regional offices. So 'hybrid' working it is. Currently 4 days/wk from home. 1 day/wk in the office - which is the nearest big city. The likelyhood of going 5 days a week are getting less by the day as my employer takes more staff on and provide no more desks.
So 1day/wk by car to the nearest railway station with free parking (still 20 odd miles), then 40mins on the train (same back).
Mrs Jones works 3 mile up the road, and is hands on so has to travel.
I have not had to fill up the car twice a week since, indeed my biggest use of fuel is driving to the shed where I keep the steamers (10mile each way) to work on them. It also means that running 2 cars that are 15years old + is less of a stress as they do bugger all miles. In fact if I could find somewhere secure to keep an Austin near the station, I could get rid of my car totally and just use one of the Austins for running about in given I live in a market town.
I fully accept the likes of David who live in the arse end of nowhere need a vehicle to get to any services. So the current issue with fuel prices hits you guys harder.
Fundamentally, when there are more of these bloody electric things than petrol cars, the government of the day will need to rebalance the revenue streams. Current thinking is road charging, and I think the likelihood is that this will be variable, possibly even to the point where it costs david £X to drive perm mile in his local area, whearas it may cost me £X+25% as an outsider. And costs everyone through the nose in cities. But of course he will still be paying the same charge for the 'leccy his motor uses as I will. So it still wont be 100% fair.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 418 Threads: 19
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Just for a bit of levity — I heard a story recently about a lawyer who was practicing in the Manchester area around late 1880.
He got round on a horse named Business.
If a client called while he was out of the office his secretary told them, quite honestly, that he was out on business.
Nothing to do with the price of petrol but as it’s coming down by five pence at six o’clock this evening I’ll put off buying a horse.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,808 Threads: 99
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"tony" i guess what you should show to be impartial.
is the different in percentages, rather than £sp. as many thing like cost of production etc have changed.
so in 1909, what percentage per gallon was tax. and what percentage was fuel?
and simular in 2022.
tony.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,200 Threads: 71
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I know it is a case of simple arithmetic, but I must confess that when I put just a smidge over 2 gallons of Super in the Cabriolet the other day (it hadn't been run for quite a while so though I would give it a treat) I was rather taken aback to have been charge £17.50...
*Gulp*
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,418 Threads: 33
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Location: Deepest Frogland 30960
Car type: 1933 RP Standard Saloon
I can JUST remember when you could get 4 gallons for a quid.
