£2000 to scrap a good car...madness?

[mr brightside]

As you will no doubt be aware the government in their infinite wisdom, have offered to pay £2000 to anyone who scraps a car over 10 years old, scrapping meaning crushed forthwith and not broken for parts.

This means that anyone needing to sell their 924/924s will find it financially beneficial to just hand it in for crushing rather that passing on a classic sports car to a loving home. This goes for all classic cars of affordable value too not just Porsches; I was bidding on an '88 Skoda 130L on ebay last night with only 2100 miles on the clock, a valuable car in terms of motoring heritage, the auction ended at £1289.99. The seller, had he waited a few weeks, could have been £700 better off for sending it to be turned into tin cans which would have been recklessly irresponsible and narrow minded. I fear this legislation could obliterate the number of classic/retro cars still registered and see unnecessary scrapping of good and potentially important vehicles for financial gain.

 

[944s2]

Have seen an article bemoaning fact that in Germany a lot of "classic" cars were crushed

Also screws up the amount of work available for small garages when these cars vanish

 

[edh]

I heard it as £1000 + matched funding from the dealer/manufacturer (and show me a dealer who isn't offering 1k discounts already!). Add to that, you've got to go & shell out on a new (depreciating) car.

I can't see this attracting the enthusiast owner (who else would run an old Porsche or other interesting classic?) - why would they want a new car? I know I don't

I can see my parents buying through this scheme - they have an old Volvo V40 estate & have been putting off buying a new car for about 4 years. One more Volvo on the scrapheap won't be a great loss []

 

[tscaptain]

ORIGINAL: mr brightside

As you will no doubt be aware the government in their infinite wisdom, have offered to pay £2000 to anyone who scraps a car over 10 years old, scrapping meaning crushed forthwith and not broken for parts.

This means that anyone needing to sell their 924/924s will find it financially beneficial to just hand it in for crushing rather that passing on a classic sports car to a loving home.

I don't think that's strictly true. You would only get £2000 off the purchase of a new car, £1000 from the Government and a £1000 from the "industry", and not a hand out of £2000 just for taking it to the scrapyard. So you would have to be in a position to afford a new car anyway? (less £2000). I would guess that most people who own a "classic" know what they have in their possession and would not trade it in against a new car . I presume it is aimed at getting old wrecks off the road and not classics but then again.........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8012492.stm

 

[poprock]

How many people trade from a classic worth less than two grand straight to a brand new car from a showroom? I'm not sure how much impact this will really have.

 

[gresley]

It's smoke and mirrors as usual. We should just think ourselves lucky that they haven't made scrapping all vehicles over 10 years old compulsory - yes I know they couldn't do that - or could they???

Andrew W.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

This is never going to be much use. I can't see the dealers giving you a better deal if you walk in with a 1986 Astra that's failed it's MOT and demand £2K off a new Merc, than if you go in as a straightforward buyer. [8|]

I certainly can't see many viable classics going this way.

 

[barks944]

Does it have to run or can you just hand in an old piece of junk that you found at the scrapper?

 

[Neil Haughey]

Its actually brilliant news for anyone selling a jalopy because it means cars worth less then 2K will be much easier to sell. Imagine the scenario where you are someone who buys new, you sell your last car you then look around your local area for a cheap banger that can be traded in for a minimum 2K discount on the new car. This is how it will end up working in practice. I am tempted to run out and buy every 100 quid banger with an MoT I can and just stack them up on the lawn.

OK this assumes that you will actually get a price on the new car significantly less then you will by some other deal or haggling, otherwise its just headline grabbing.

BTW has anyone seen some of the amazing lease deals about? I spotted the over day brand new Honda Accord 2.2 diesel estate for 220 quid a months on 3+36, far less then the depreciation over 3 years.

 

[barks944]

Seems like you will have had to own a car for 12 months for a viable claim.

 

[mr brightside]

If the deal is 1k from Brown and 1k from 'industry' payable upon the purchase of a brand new car then i've never been more relieved to have been misinformed, i was told it was a 2k handout on surrender of the car and V5.

True classics probably won't get lost this way, perhaps i should have used the word 'rare' instead; but the more you think about some of the cars people drive who attatch no heritage value to them whatsoever then the more you realise what could be lost. Mk1 Astras+Cavvies, Mk1 Golfs+polos+Passats...i know this is a Porsche forum but when was the last time you saw a Mk1 Astra GTE or a Mk1 Golf GX?

I'm glad most of you think this will not result in the significant loss of rare cars but i strongly disagree with the move. If they want to be seen to be doing something about greenhouse gasses then i suggest they pressure the US to get on board (unless Obama has already done so).

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I understood there was no loophole that allows you to buy a £50 car to PX the day you were intending to purchase a new vehicle. I'd expect there to be a list of conditions such as a reasonable period of ownership, proof it was insured and taxed, that kind of thing.

 

[Neil Haughey]

ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty

I understood there was no loophole that allows you to buy a £50 car to PX the day you were intending to purchase a new vehicle. I'd expect there to be a list of conditions such as a reasonable period of ownership, proof it was insured and taxed, that kind of thing.

If that is the case then its clearly a complete and utter waste of time. Just like every other big idea our government come up with like the 15% VAT rate.

 

[mr brightside]

Old Volvos are great for hauling other cars around on trailors you know, and the reliability of the old fart chariot is simply legendary. They don't rust as fast as other cars too, i was told it was due to Swedish Coruna Iron Ore being of a far superior grade to British Kidney Ore.

Hey and mine beat a Dodge Challenger up Santa Pod one year too! I think the yank driver may have gone home with his head in a paper bag because we never saw him or the car again all weekend.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

If that is the case then its clearly a complete and utter waste of time.

No, it fools a few people into thinking that they are getting something for nothing. [&o]

More importantly, it reinforces to most of us that the current lot are useless and speeds up the chance of a replacement - so a very good thing indeed! [8|]

 

[944s2]

I know its not truly representative but a quick look in Autotrader shows well over 100 Golf GTi's over 10 years and sub £2k how many of them could become treasured classics?

One thing I have not seen but I assume as far a trade in is concerned it is in effect nil for dealer so as such will be interesting to see actual prices new cars sell for compared to what you can haggle with no trade in

 

[Mark_Bennett]

ORIGINAL: 944s2

I know its not truly representative but a quick look in Autotrader shows well over 100 Golf GTi's over 10 years and sub £2k how many of them could become treasured classics?

Ideal basis for a "ring toy"...

 

[mik_ok]

My thoughts on the stupidity of this initiative are far more eloquently captured by this months Sniffpetrol ~ CLICK HERE

 

[mr brightside]

Top banana.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

ORIGINAL: mik_ok

My thoughts on the stupidity of this initiative are far more eloquently captured by this months Sniffpetrol ~ CLICK HERE

I loved that, it does make a very serious philosophical point through satire - which is going to go way over the heads of the people who think of these schemes.

It reminded me of the European Parliament's attempts to ban 2-stroke engines. After working out the huge cost of manually maintaining the forests of Europe without chainsaws they backed down. Wouldn't it have been better to spend the millions of euros on stopping illegal logging in the rainforests, rather than allowing them to carry on whilst forcing me to cut hedges with secateurs...[:'(]