Owners’ clubs to get first call on spares when classics traded in for new cars
Vauxhall softens up on scrappage
Vauxhall has fought back criticism of its scrappage scheme, claiming any classic Vauxhalls traded in for £2000 off a new car will be recycled – with parts finding their way back to clubs.
In our 21 October issue, we broke the news that Vauxhall had started its own scrappage scheme, allowing motorists to get £2000 off the price of a new car when they trade in one any age, as long as the buyer has owned it for a minimum of 90 days.
Since then, Vauxhall has stated that its scrappage partner Autogreen will highlight any classic Vauxhalls presented through the scheme. Relevant owners’ clubs will then be notified, giving them the opportunity to purchase parts from the authorised treatment facility.
Simon Hucknall, Vauxhall’s PR manager, said: ‘Vauxhall’s scrappage programme is not designed to rid the world of classic cars. The scheme has been created to capture vehicles that are genuinely beyond economical repair, and offer owners a fixed payment, which can be offset against the cost of a new Vauxhall. Given the low value of scrap metal, it is very much in the interest of Autogreen to recycle usable parts from vehicles presented through the scheme.’
He added that Vauxhall was enthusiastic about preserving its heritage and helping owners keep their cars on the road. ‘With this simple and effective arrangement with Autogreen, we’re taking this philosophy a step further,’ said Hucknall.
Mark Exton, technical director of Autogreen, said: ‘We’re particularly focused on making owners’ clubs aware of cars from the 1960s to the mid-1980s although we’d obviously single out older models, too. Vauxhalls from the 1980s are a rarity in the scheme, since owners tend to be more concerned with preserving, rather than re-cycling them.’
Non-Vauxhall clubs have criticised the carmaker for not saving classics built by other manufacturers that may pass through the scrappage scheme. Darren McAll, from the UK Hyundai Coupe Owners’ Club said: ‘The Scoupe is now so rare we struggle to get parts anywhere. I saw several carsgo in 2009’s official scrappage scheme. What a huge waste.’