Morris Minor Owners Club

Is there any real evidence that they are going for scrap?
There must be trade-ins that are worth a bit more than £2K, that owners are finding difficult to sell and are willing to take a few hundred quid loss just to get a new car on their drive. Even £1500 cars have some value in comparison to scrap metal prices. I would imagine that dealers are just adding these to the stock of 'other marque' trade-ins that are put on the back of a vehicle transporter and sent off to the auction house.

As for loss of useable 'bangers'? I can't see that happening. I drive a reliable, rust free, 14 year old diesel that will do nearly 60mpg. Trading that in for something that costs 5 times as much would gain me nothing at all and loose me the equivilant of two very nice family holidays. There are thousands of people out there with the same mindset.
With any luck this scheme will speed up the disposal of the fleet of limping wrecks that still litter the highway and make the sum £1K bargain forcourt a bit cleaner.

Is there any real evidence that they are going for scrap?

The car has to be either scrapped or sold for £2000 at least.

A while ago a dealer put a 1970s Vauxhall on ebay with something like 24k on the clock and said that it had been sent in by an old boy via the scrappage scheme but was too good to scrap.
Don't think it ever sold though, 70s Vauxhalls don't hold value well.

It would depend on the dealer though, many just wouldn't care about getting a tatty Minor or 1100. Its not really worth much to him as far as money is concerned.


What irritates me is the cars outside dealers with the scrappage scheme signs on them, they tend to be the cleanest Rover 200s I ever see (abiet dealer inflicted dents, the knackered ones are still on the road!
Bizzare!

From little I know (from someone working in a car dealership), cars handed in 'in exchange' have to be physically destroyed by a scrap merchant, for car sales to get certificate of scrapping, showing how much and of what material was recovered from the car. I guess, this means that poor cars cannot even be stripped for spares.

Only the certificate has been recieved, the car dealer can submit a claim for their grant and the rest of the monies, in order to pass it onto the buyer of the new car. Apparently, this 'sign off' takes a long time to come through, too! So some dealers have to wait for weeks to get paid! As you can imagine, they are not happy either.
Well organised scheme, as we can all see. NOT!

I heard that this silly vote grabbing scheme could end in October, as the money will run out, because the scheme has been so popular (I haven't noticed many 09 plates....maybe I wasn't looking....Stagecoach have some new buses).

Messrs Brown & Darling will have to either call an election before then or dream up another vote winning scheme by next year. How about a grant towards a new "Barret/Redrow" home, if your house is over 50 years old and you knock it down.

If that scheme is as good as their others you'll knock down your house only to be offered a second hand tent!

According to someone I know, I think that could be better than a R*drow house but I'm only going on what he said!!

rayofleamington wrote:At the last but one AGM, IIRC, I was the only person who objected to a motion! This year I was involved in raising a motion (regarding the darn scrappage scheme...).

Can we know what the committee's views were on this, and what. if any. action was proposed?

Can we know what the committee's views were on this,

no idea, but Ray Newell did a short presentation on it and what discussions were ongoing including the FBHVC. At the time, the scheme was only 'think tank proposals' etc.. but had already created waves in the classic car movement.

just spotted an immacualte MGF going down this scheme!!! doubt it will be replaced by a british car!! there's an Ebayer selling the cars he gets from this scheme!!! but he damages the roofs so they cant be repaired and dont give out logbooks so at least parts are being taken off cars

The FBHVC released the following statement regarding the scrappage scheme:

"The FBHVC remit is to look after historic vehicles over 25 years old and so at first glance this scheme would not appear to affect our members, as most vehicles that age would be worth more than the effective £1000 provided by the scheme, but of course we have to remember that these younger vehicles just might be the classics of the future as well as the future of our members’ hobbies or businesses. We do not have the power to oppose the scheme but we are determined to fight to keep our vehicles on the road and preserve our motoring heritage. With the help of our member clubs we can only hope to influence anyone who is considering scrapping an historic vehicle by education and example. Our vehicles are not the ‘old bangers’ at which the scheme is aimed – they are well maintained and cherished and we have a wealth of statistics that prove that classics do not contribute significantly in any way to pollution and greenhouses gases.

We ask all our members to help spread this message and preserve our motoring heritage as well as uphold the freedom to drive our vehicles."

A hypothetical question, and please bear in mind that I too disagree with the scrapping of our motoring heritage.

As an individual you decide you would like a new car. You would like your loved classic to go to a good home, and be preserved for future generations to enjoy, but your finances are limited and you are only offered say £500 for your car. What would you do?

The bottom line is that some people would trade their car in and others would not. It's entirely up to them. I think this subject has pretty much been done to death on here. I'm sure I'm not the only one getting bored with it

I thought it was wrong in the first place Louise, but I think my question in response to your post today, and your answer, which I agree with. has summed it up. Freedom of choice.

Didn't realise that your request for an answer to a hypothetical question was in response to me posting the statement from the FBHVC. It doesn't seem to be connected at all. Anyway, glad to see that we both agree that the subject has been done to death!

I could explain, but as we are both agreed, let's leave it at that.

One a happy note, an apparently sound 1955 Riley RM, which was about to be scrappaged, has been saved . I do like the RM!

Scrapping a car like that should be a capital offence .