scrappage petition

[merlinart]

I have just received details of this via Linked In and thought that it might be of interest to many of you if you haven't already seen it.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/207027

Arthur

[longchap]

Signed, 4891 signatures, but a long way to go!

Bill

[DaveT]

Signed, 4891 signatures, but a long way to go!

Bill

Now 4902 signatures a long road ahead to even get recognition, but it's mentioned in the March edition of Practical Classics .

Dave

[John Mason]

Hi all, Although I agree with the sentiment of scrapping these old cars within the scrappage scheme. Perhaps the answer is for current owner not to sell their cars so cheaply thus inflating the price to an amount over what you would get for scrappage.
I have however signed the petition.

John Mason

[Chris KC]

Perhaps I'm being dense again but I don't really get what this is about - is there evidence to suggest that historic vehicles (A7's, for example) are being scrapped for their trade-in value? All cars will eventually be 'historic' so I'm not sure the petition is ultimately tenable. I'm fundamentally opposed to scrappage schemes per se as their 'green' credentials are pretty thin - would much rather see a petition against scrappage in its entirety.

[Phil Kingdom]

Hi Chris, as you say all surviving cars will become historic, but many cars with current historic status have been traded for the scrappage allowance, a while back there was a picture going around that showed an airfield full of scrappage cars, no Austin 7s or pre war as even for a restoration project they are worth more than the allowance, but lots of Heralds, MGs and 60s 70, cars and a few from the 40s and 50s and when you think about it these cars are now older than when many of today's Austin 7s were being saved back in the 50s/60s

[Alan]

For a car to survive it's not enough just to be historic, Someone actually has to want it. Austin sevens survived in some quantity because they are quite nice and therefore desirable. So, for every car that avoids the scrappage scheme, there has to be someone prepared to give that car a home. What are they going to do? Draw lots to see who has to have the Allegros?

[Chris KC]

Indeed - being old doesn't automatically make something worth preserving. I'd like to think this is one of those areas where 'market forces' actually work in more or less the right way.

[Hedd_Jones]

I havn't signed it.

Most of the tat being weighed in will not be missed.

The interesting stuff that is weighed in contributes in that it makes the survivors more interesting and more valuable.

The market dictates, leave it be.

[Chris KC]

The real wrong here is that perfectly servicable vehicles are being scrapped so their makers can flog you new ones...