Hundreds of classic diesels could be crushed if new scrappage scheme goes ahead
Mayor of London Boris Johnson is calling on the Government to launch a new scrappage scheme initiative aimed at getting rid of polluting old diesel cars – putting ‘youngtimers’ such as the Mercedes-Benz 300D (W124) at risk.
The call is backed by the the Environmental Audit Committee, which is recommending a diesel scrappage scheme to help tackle a ‘public health crisis’ in air pollution. If the scheme goes ahead, hundreds of potential future classics could be destroyed.
In the report – Action on Air Quality, published on 26 November – it says Mayor of London Boris Johnson is calling for a diesel scrappage scheme along the lines of the ‘bangers and cash’ initiative launched in 2009.
The report quotes Johnson as previously saying this would be compensation for ‘people who have been seduced into buying a diesel vehicle …[which was] a massive failure of public policy.’ Johnson himself is not part of the committee.
The report, by a cross-party committee of MPs, says, the existing road tax system, which favours diesels because of their low carbon emissions should be changed.
The report concludes, ‘The Government should consider the scope for subsidising diesel vehicle owners to retrofit their engines or a national diesel vehicle scrappage scheme on the basis of a full cost-benefit analysis that reflects the different circumstances, costs and benefits in urban and rural areas.’
The report says that 28,969 people in the UK were killed by air pollution in 2010. The report is also calling on the Government to introduce a national framework of Low Emissions Zones.
It’s bad news for fans of younger classic cars with diesel engines – hundreds of future classics were wiped out by the 2009 scrappage scheme and these models are sure to face the same fate.
As well as oil-burning W124s and 190s, that critical list includes diesel variants of the Audi 100 (one of the first turbo-charged diesels).
Also in danger are Montegos, MkI and MkII Golfs, plenty of Peugeots (205, 309) and Citroens (CX, BX, XM, AX) and Volvo’s 700/900 series, plus the 850. The Vauxhall Cavalier MkII and Ford Sierra will also be targets for ‘cube and collect’.
Diesel versions of the Ford Fiesta MkII and Escort MkIII were also available.
- Ten classic diesels that could face the crusher
- Find out how many classic diesels survived
- Buy a diesel classic car for sale
Comments
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jgrahampo on 19 December 2014
Wouldnt be anything to do with folks being able to run most these cars off chip fat and chance avoidning the duty would it?
max on 20 December 2014
If they introduce a framework of low emission zones, you'll struggle driving anywhere anyway. Oh, that's right if you PAY it makes it ok?!
Albert Smith on 21 December 2014
You cynic, do you think our parasites in Westminster would do that to us, the loyal citizens.
On thinking about it, I think you are on the money.
The next thing our masters will make us pay for is the oxygen we breathe, 20p a mouthful.
Scanner on 26 December 2014
I run my old school Mazda diesel on a mix of Tesco Sunflower or Veg oil (80p/litre) and diesel.
At the last MOT when it was running on a 50/50 mix of Sunflower oil and Shell V-Power the tester couldn't get a reading on the emission tester and had to connect the manual sensor to tell the machine he was revving it up. That is a nasty old polluting diesel with 170,000 miles on the clock.
I'd love to compare it's emissions with a "non-polluting - emissions zone exempt" petrol at the same mileage.
Yeahh right - why is it the really toxic, really smelly, really deadly, petrol emissions are never worried about?
Nobody ever killed themselves with a diesel car and a hose pipe - they might just have got a bad cough for a while though.
Tagnutblues on 1 January 2015
Twonk. Never met a mazda diesel driver on a motoring forum, congrats you are the first. And hopefully the last.
Scanner on 1 January 2015
Jeez you really are up yourself aren't you, what do you drive a Reliant Robin?
Tagnutblues on 5 January 2015
No, and no. What car people drive really must matter to you in your small playground world. Go back to the Daily Fail, they are missing an idiot.
Scanner on 5 January 2015
At least I can read even if I avoid the "Fail" like the plague. Too
many little minded bigoted trolls like you on there. You've never driven
a modern diesel have you? In fact I bet the only thing you've ever
driven (and badly at that) is a dodgem car.
Here's an
offer you take a petrol car and stick a hosepipe up the exhaust and go
sit in the car breathing from it with the engine running. I'll d the
same with a modern clean diesel. The one alive in 10 minutes wins.
If that doesn't kill you, probably because you are not any form of oxygen breathing life form, we'll go to stage 2.
You go out into the middle of a car park and tip a couple of litres of your
beloved petrol over your head, I'll do the same with 2 couple of litres
of diesel - we then both strike a match. The one alive in 10 seconds
wins that one.
Go away and do the world a favour - breath some petrol fumes.
Tagnutblues on 6 January 2015
Two ways to kill my self, thanks for that. Touchy fellow, transferring all this angst onto petrol cars. Maybe Jim fixed it for you when you were little.
Dodgem car? Pathetic. Sounds like this nasty troll has in hailed too many par-tic-u-lates to form any coherent sentences and objective views.
Back under your bridge you go, bye bye.
Scanner on 6 January 2015
You were the one who slithered from under the bridge with a nasty response to a post on here.
You really should take good advice when it's offered, if you don't like either of those suggestions I've plenty more, all of them far too good for infantile trolls like you.
As for Jimmy, Jimmy who? I obviously never got to meet someone who clearly had a big influence on you.
Now hoik off and go and play with yourself. Hopefully you'll go blind.
Tagnutblues on 7 January 2015
Stop trying to groom me, I'm way out of your league
george on 26 December 2014
kimarnock taxi drivers use clean burn central heating oil the fastest paraffin heaters in the west
timblackprince on 28 December 2014
28,969 people died because of air pollution. You have to have a brain completely dulled by diesel smoke to believe such absolute made up statistics. Yet people just accept this blatant rubbish
brian on 30 December 2014
yes it would!!!!!
brian on 30 December 2014
it just another "hit the car driver trick" lets sort out the buses, trucks and diesel trains first.
swampy swampage on 31 December 2014
Pity the public transport system is so poor.
Maybe Boris could cull the plebs to ease the strain
Tagnutblues on 1 January 2015
The diesel con finally comes full circle. Good riddance, evil diseasels, noisey, dirty and low revving useless heavy lumps that are meant for tractors
Scanner on 2 January 2015
And just what has Audi won the Le Mans 24 hours with for the last few years?
Twunt!
Tagnutblues on 5 January 2015
Hmm Audi- volkswagens in disguise.
Snicko on 7 January 2015
Little boy, doesn't drive, lives with mum.
'Opinions' from Top Gear! Laughable and irrelevant.
Tagnutblues on 7 January 2015
Oh dear, where to begin?
bakeart on 5 January 2015
Bad news for me, I have just bought a 2013 1.6l diesel Qashqai! This is bound to harm residuals for all diesel car owners as the politicians have clearly got us in their sights now. Logically, surely all diesel cars without a particle filter should be eligible straightaway and the programme should roll forward stepwise to include all diesel cars over the next 10 years if even euro VI compliant cars are still emitting harmful pollutants. Scrapping cars which cause pollution seems to me a better use of public money that subsidising wind turbines, though it is clearly going to cost me as a recent diesel car purchaser.
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