Affordability, vehicle financing, taxation, local assembly, after-sales support, technical skills, roadworthiness enforcement and consumer education must all work together. They do not pose a serious threat to local vehicle assembly, nor do they significantly affect the average age of Ghana’s daily transport fleet. On the contrary, they support automotive heritage, tourism, car shows, specialist restoration businesses, motorsport and technical education. Local assembly must offer a realistic alternativeRestrictions on older used vehicles cannot be discussed separately from Ghana’s local assembly programme. But a successful automotive policy must balance three interests: safety, affordability and industrial development.