Classic Motoring Endangered

[WhisperJet]

The scrappage scheme keeps spreading all over Europe like a plague!
As I must read, even Britain could not escape its destroying power.

For those of you with a heart for classic cars - reach for your handkerchiefs...
http://www.aronline.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum ... 44&t=15494

How many else are dying these days?

Some stories however have a happy end...
http://www.rileyrmclub.org.uk/#scr

Sad wishes,

Nick
(in love with British cars for decades)

[Garry Russell]

That's the trouble with anything like this..it backfires in certain areas.

The only way would be to limit the age of the cars and for example not accept anything more than 25 years old

Garry

[DaveB]

Sad indeed and a situation that could have been averted with a little forethought from the garage owner/manager

I'd love to get rid of my 406 under the scrappage scheme but can't afford a new motor even with the discount. A shame because it really deserves to be scrapped

ATB

DaveB

[Jon.M]

Here in the province of Milan it is now forbiden to drive a car that does not meet the Euro standards for emissions. Only vehicles that meet Euro 1 standard or better for petrol engines or Euro 3 or better for diesels can be driven in built up areas on Monday to Friday between 7.30 and 19.30.

My Focus TDDI is a Euro 2 diesel and despite it being in good condition and low milage for a nine year old car I've had to sell it because I live in an area covered by this local law.

Here the scrapage scheme applies to cars first registered before 1st Jan 2000 mine was registered in February 2000. There is also financial assistance locally for owners of cars like mine, but I earn slightly too much to qualify.

So is my suddenly worthless car going to be scrapped to save us from global warming? Nope. A niche market has been formed exporting cars which can't be driven here to eastern Europe (mine's going to Bulgaria) where lots of people who couldn't afford a car will now have access to affordable second hand ones.

I now own a Focus TDCI Euro 4, the newer engine doesn't pull from low revs like the old one and generally feels a lot 'busier'. Still on the first tank full but it does look like returning about 20% better fuel consumption which is good news.

Jon

[TSR2]

Most of these standards are in place so that the car manufacturers can keep churning out cars that no one actually needs. There is more environmental damage from producing one average family car than keeping a 10 year old, well maintained example running. Its just the eurocrats way of keeping their pockets lined and increasing our throw away attitude to things... a total waste of time.

[WhisperJet]

Ben, that is sad but true.
Moreover on the long run - it doesn't even really help the industry.
I have tried to sum up the measure and its impact on/in Germany - if you're interested:
http://nickthal.wordpress.com/2009/06/2 ... e/#more-40

[Jon.M]

I also believe the argument that between 2/3 and 3/4 of the environmental impact of a car during it's lifetime happens while building it. The mining and refining of metals and plastics and the amount of energy required to make the car far outweigh the impact of running it. A hybrid with two motors must be even worse.

If that's the case if we want to save the planet the best thing to do is to keep the old 406s, Focuses (Foci?) etc. on the road and stop scrapping viable vehicles that already exist. Decimating the motor industry as a whole, not just the big manufacturers, is a non starter politically of course.

As for classic vehicles, they are so rare compared to the majority of vehicles on the road and usually aren't driven much so there ought to be exceptions for them.

Jon

[TSR2]

Hi WJ,

Thats a really well written and acurate piece. There was a study a few years ago that actually proved that, from an employment point of view, just as many if not more jobs would exist maintaining older cars if manufacturing was more realistic. Furthermore Lotus have the right Idea (and its not a new one either, originated back in the 70's by Colin Chapman.) That is an Adjust-a-car. Think about buying a complete car, then as new, more efficent powerplants become available you can upgrade (in much the same way you would a PC.) The same with safety features. After 5 years you could leave your car into the dealer and pick it up a week later with a new more fuel efficent powertrain... perhaps a fuelcell of some sort and all for arround £5k. This type of design is especially true of long life shells, such as modern composites or aluminium. In the 70's and early 80's we all used to complain how cars weren't built to last, the demon rust was the achilies hell of many, how ironic now that cars are better built, we are destroying them after 10 years.The world has gone mad.

[gordon-in-aberdeen]

I'm sure I read someplace that the Honda Prius took so much energy to manufacture (high tec lightweight body panels/electronics and battery technology etc) that the total co2 output during the "cradle to grave" lifetime of it was heigher than other normal cars

[WhisperJet]

Hi Ben, and many thanks for your friendly lines!
From the heart - I totally agree with you in terms of the Lotus vision. I do have to point out that I believe Lotus as a sports car brand ironically is one of the most creative and most forward thinking carmakers around. Not only that they have installed and analyzed subjects as the one you've mentioned or invented groundbreaking technological features (such as the foldable steel roof first seen in the Mercedes SLK) but they have also realised a very basic vision of environmentally friendly thinking: lightweight construction. You simply don't need 300 HP if you manage to reduce weight. It's a Chapman formula from the fifties that seems more than ever up-to-date - no wonder Tesla sought inspiration in the Elise when creating their highspeed-electro-sportscar: http://www.teslamotors.com/

Gordon, you're absolutely right, the Prius (it's a Toyota) is accused for polluting the environmenmt by the batteries it uses. It's said that their production process does even worse damage to the environemnt than all the Hummers rolling around the planet. Sry, no Links ready this very minute but just google the issue and you're fully fed! Besides that, it's whole green touch is pure marketing in my eyes. A Twingo consumes less!

Jon, 100% agreed and that's evidenced!

Best wishes,

Nick.