Scrappage scheme to be extended?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The bastards are talking about it.New car production dropped a massive amount in August say the Guvvmint - well you stupid Cunts, considering that the biggest 'scappage' sellers are made in South Korea, how in the name of fuck is that going to benefit Nissan, Toyota, Honda, MINI etc?There was a thing is Classic Car Weekly where they wrote to some NuLab spunker and he replied, one line being 'It was not designed as a green measure'.Hmm, if that's so, why are 300'000 cars (worth 150 million quid if the avage value is 500 quid) being destroyed rather than just auctioned off?Oh - my local BMW dealer sold 12 new cars last weekend, none of which were scrappage.

[Guest]

Cheer up Bluebottle! You seem to be getting very upset about this whole thing, it pains me too, but it's happened now, can't do a lot about it.All I've heard is that some weeks back a few carmakers have gone on record saying that they would like it to be extended (to be expected), but the government seem to have ruled that out at the start anyway. I haven't heard anything to go back on it.

[Station]

they would like it to be extended

I can't see any other reason why they wouldn't! A free dip into a share of 200 million, with a massive incentive for greedy cunts to buy more of their shitty, overpriced cars, while getting rid of more old cars that might break? And people are praying these people don't go down the shitter ffs.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Lets face it even if it continues til 2047, there'll be dealers up and down the land wringing ther hands and predicting a catastrophic meltdown of society throuoghout December 2046.

[dollywobbler]

The SMMT are certainly calling for an extension very vocally but seeing as the Gubbermint is desperately trying to save money everywhere at the moment, can't see them extending scrappage. I bloomin' hope not anyway.The only slight worry I have is that the government has said an extension is unlikely. The same government that a few weeks before scrappage was announced said it wouldn't work in the UK...

[Mr Lobster]

The SMMT and others are pretty keen on an extension and have pointed out that the government have netted around £100 'profit' in terms of VAT through the scrappage scheme (although they would have had a certain amount of that anyway without giving a grand away to get the VAT back).

 

I wouldn't have thought it will happen but then with this excuse for a government, who knows?

 

http://www.am-online.com/news/story/Gov ... e/42900844

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The SMMT are a pack of useless wankers, and trust them to support such a short sighted solution.Well, if margins on new cars were anything other than a complete joke then there'd be no need for scrappidge. If manufacturers realised that the never ending stream of new cars cannot last forever, and stopped and thought for a moment about how they could make loads more money by slashing parts costs and thus selling more, they might be in for a chance.Ford are possibly the worst offender. Look at their parts prices (£120 for a Ka steel sump) and it's clear they don't want to sell parts. Every year they lose millions to the aftermarket due to their short sighted greed. Yet aftermarket parts companies make millions copying stuff and selling it for less than half price. I think Veng do a Ka sump for 30 quid and I bet they sell loads. Thanks Ford!!So, either increase margins of new cars to a less offensive level or gear up for the aftermarket.

[AnthonyG]

I don't think it will happen now that even Labour accept the massive amount of government debt will mean cuts in public services. Sacking teachers or helping middle income people buy cars? - can't see that washing really.Anybody see Brown smiling like a goon with Obama in the papers today? - something about ridding the world of nuclear weapons or such. Sorry Gordon, Obama's 'magic' ain't going to transfer to you. You are the weakest link!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Anybody see Brown smiling like a goon with Obama in the papers today? - something about ridding the world of nuclear weapons or such. Sorry Gordon, Obama's 'magic' ain't going to transfer to you. You are the weakest link!

He really is a useless turd isn't he! I love the way Obama basically fucked him off - I get the impression that the 'unique relationship' the US and UK have is something Obama might want to bin off. Well, at least until Cameron is PM.

[Mr Lobster]

Indeed. The SMMT, manufacturers and dealers need to understand that their business model is to a certain extent unsustainable.For the last few years they have relied almost entirely on churning out huge numbers of cars on tiny profit margins per unit with finance commisions making them a profit. There needs to be a fundamental shift in the way the new car motor trade works >Manufacturers need to build less, only building what they can actually sell. Dealers need to be able to make a realistic profit on the actual car rather than relying on finance, GAP insurance, SUPAguard and all other tat to keep them in business.Dealers and manufacturers need to stop trying to outdo each other with bigger, fancier showrooms that they can't afford. The older, smaller showrooms were perfectly adequate, still looked smart enough and didn't need to be on an enormous out of town site.Scrappage is not helping long term, it's only delaying the inevitable - yes there might be some pain when it ends but the motor trade really does need to readjust.

[AnthonyG]

The German one ended this month - after 2 million cars were traded in, IIRC. The Minister in charge effectively said that the industry can't rely on artifical support 'indefinitely' - and I reckon that the German motor trade is more sustainable than the UK - less reliance on finance for a start, particularly PCPs, less leasing and far less company cars.Personally I would do away with a noticable change on the numberplate every year or six months, it ages cars well before their time and the value (in terms of money) lost is immense to both retail and fleet customers. The police can f**k off with their 'oh it makes them more memorable' argument cops are so obessed with ANPR/cameras they don't bother to investigate anything without CCTV footage now anyway.On the plate issue, what happens in March next year when 59 ends? - bet the tossers at the DVLA haven't even thought about. The '010' bit won't fit within the current no of digits as it currently stands.

[Guest]

The way it works is that the numbers count up - 51, 02, 52, 03, 53, 04 and so on.So after 59 it'll go 10, 60, 11, 61, 12, 62, etc.

[Milford Cubicle]

What's going on with this 'guvvmint' and 'gubbermint' nonsense?It's the kind of thing Richard Littlejohn would write.

[Guest]

I wonder if Littlejohn has devised a way of linking the scrappage scheme to asylum seekers yet."Asylum seekers buy luxury 4x4s through scrappage scheme with YOUR money" etc.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

On the plate issue, what happens in March next year when 59 ends? - bet the tossers at the DVLA haven't even thought about. The '010' bit won't fit within the current no of digits as it currently stands.

2009  2010  2011  2012 09    10    11    12 59    60    61    62

The current system is supposed to last until 2049 (iirc) before running out of numbers. I know Hurst already supplied an example but I already had the chart

[Milford Cubicle]

Why wasn't the system made more coherent when they had the chance to change it for the better?eg. For a September 2002 vehicle registered in Inverness, IS 902 XXX would make sense.Instead it's SX52 XXX, which doesn't mean anything to me. I haven't got a hang of the identifiers yet, because they swapped all the old system's identifiers around. SX was an Edinburgh identifier pre-2001.AAARGH!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Why wasn't the system made more coherent when they had the chance to change it for the better?eg. For a September 2002 vehicle registered in Inverness, IS 902 XXX would make sense.Instead it's SX52 XXX, which doesn't mean anything to me. I haven't got a hang of the identifiers yet, because they swapped all the old system's identifiers around. SX was an Edinburgh identifier pre-2001.AAARGH!

It's brilliant - to me, a 51 plate car is still new.

[Cavcraft]

Scrappage scheme extended locally. Despite my best protestations my mate called the yard in today for his old 309 petrol and the same yard last week for a Rover 100 (Metro) that only needed an exhaust and two tiny bits of welding for the MOT.Ok the 309 was fucking horrible to drive (I piloted it back for him about ten miles) but it drove and wasn't half tidy.

[Father Ted]

It's brilliant - to me, a 51 plate car is still new.

i still have 1996 P platers as being "new" in my mental calendar.Current shed is an L plater and I think thats quite new too.

[fiatdaft]

90% of the scrappage stuff is dross that isn't in the best condition,so no great loss there,but there is the odd gem,but to be honest it's the folk with the cars that are trading them that should be getting moaned at.but it gives me a good living.every cloud and all that.

[pompei]

Is there any data about who has actually gained from this scheme? How much has the scheme cost and who have been the principal beneficiaries? I appreciate that it's nigh-on impossible to identify how much has gone to "British" industry in a global manufacturing market - after all one of the justifications for the scheme was that it would stimulate our economy. I'm pretty certain that unless the majority of people taking advantage of it bought Morgans, much of the benefits will have gone abroad. And this is perhaps not as straightforward as it seems - dealers, finance people and scrappies here will still have gained. So has the scheme been value for money?

[Albert Ross]

I benefitted from the scheme.....Rather my 21 year old niece did..................We located a 1999 T plate Polo 1.9 diesel 5 door in metallic grey for her last month for £200....Shabby, rusty, scratched, dented etc...odd coloured wing. Not the best example of a car in the first place........last night it got vandalised...........go figure.Well......traded in last week under scrappage. A N plate Polo 1.0 3 door........in metallic Grey.....So I made enquiries. As long as I replaced everything I removed that was vital for "completeness" i.e. body panels mirrors etc, condition unimportant, it was mine to pluck from.So........cue this afternoon....bonnet, 2 wings, N/S mirror (electric) rear bumper, front grille, and tail lights....All swapped over, and old N plater dumped on "death row"...total cost to me (her)? Nil. Yes readers, you heard it here first, NOTHING! Ok, the paint's not a PERFECT match, but a blind man galloping past on a horse on a cobbled street at dusk wouldn't notice much.............I removed most of the dents and rust in 1 and a half hours, and rebuilt the scrapper. Parked it up and locked the key away. I'm told as long as it starts and gets on the wagon on Tuesday, that's fine!Joyous thing was her face when she saw it afterwards...I had told her the donor car was red, so it would look odd but legal. A great heart warming feeling being able to benefit from someone elses stupidity. (scrappage)

[FredTransit]

Don't forget, though the damage done to other bits of the motor trade, the small second hand car dealers and repairers that are already missing the scrappage victims.

It's brilliant - to me, a 51 plate car is still new.

i still have 1996 P platers as being "new" in my mental calendar.Current shed is an L plater and I think thats quite new too.

Me too, and I have trouble coping with the idea that 1990 is 20 years ago next year!

[Richard]

Don't forget, though the damage done to other bits of the motor trade, the small second hand car dealers and repairers that are already missing the scrappage victims.

MPs tend not to have shares in those so fuck 'em.

[FredTransit]

How refreshingly honest. Unlike the MPs.....

[M'coli]

Don't forget, though the damage done to other bits of the motor trade, the small second hand car dealers and repairers that are already missing the scrappage victims.

MPs tend not to have shares in those so fuck 'em.

Ah, like the Tory's plans to reign in the BBC if they win the election i.e. stopping the BBC's commercial output, getting rid of BBC4 (probably the best channel) and why? There are lots of MPs who have invested in independent production companies.

[Negative Creep]

Article in Autocar condemning it

 

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArtic ... rs/243548/

 

 

 

Which is rather odd considering........

 

http://www.whatcar.com/images/subscript ... Letter.pdf

 

 

 

[Mr Lobster]

I recently ended my Autocar subscription partly because of their scrappage support and partly because theres only so much you want to read about the great new Porsche / BMW week in week out.They were all for the scrappage scheme but then as soon as it starts and they see interesting stuff getting traded in they raise their hands and start bleating about it. C'mon Autocar, make your minds up hey?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

http://www.whatcar.com/images/subscript ... Letter.pdf

That one is particularly nauseating. I wonder which of the fools who put their name to this have actually bought a new car under the scrappage scheme?

[dollywobbler]

Oh crap. I was wrong. It'll be announced this afternoon that it is being extended apparently.