Endangered '90s tat

[Formula Autos]

Old cars and vans become scarce - that's no surprise to any of us. Recently though I've noticed that some '90s tat is becoming thinner on the ground than you might expect, such as:

This shape Passat, particularly in bluff-fronted saloon form.

This shape Polo, again with the saloon form becoming predictably thin on the ground

Midis used to be everywhere, now they're seriously scarce.

Same story with Fiorinos.

Seen a Pride recently?

Or an Accord of this vintage?

Or how about an X2. Sonatas and Scoupes were always relatively slow sellers in comparison, but now seemingly more common than the X2.

I probably haven't seen one of these on the road for ten years or so - though they were scarce to begin with.

I haven't seen an original shape Neon for a while, either.

Or a Tipo, come to think of it.

Original shape Toledos are getting thin on the ground too.

Fourtraks have suddenly disappeared too - even five years ago there were plenty of farmers knocking around my area in them. Only the later ones seem to be left.

 

None of this is too much of a surprise, as most of these are relatively unloved, and now pretty worthless too. Are they the sort of vehicles we should be saving now, and have I missed any?

[CreepingJesus]

I've noticed that too. In fact, I've started snapping the few that I find. There was an E-plate Passat trolling round here until recently, which I didn't get a pic of, and I'm beginning to wonder if it's a girder in a Beijing office block now.

It can't just be scrappage that's seen them off: I reckon the long period of cheap finance had a fair bit to do with the paucity of 90's motors. With sales good for most of the last decade, it was probly easier for folk to sign on the line for a lightly used one than fix an old heap. Plenty of supply + low residuals + (decent scrap prices / cost of repair) = goodbye.

As good a reason as any to hang on to the Mondeo, against all sense. The AS way!

[Justin Case]

It's happening remarkably quickly too. I took this Nissan Sunny for my 'endangered species' photo thread only 18 months ago, and it was only when I just looked at it I realised that the Mondeo behind it wasn't worth a second glance then, but now would be on the endangered species list itself

 

[Negative Creep]

Sierra

Fiat Uno

Bedford Rascal/Suzuki Carry

Carlton (although there are 2 on my parent's street

Rover 200 (the one before the bubble shape)

Metro/Rover 100

[trigger]

Hyundai Scoupe and Sonata.

[Volksy]

Neons, deserve to die.. hateful cars.

 

$1000 build, and it shows.

[CreepingJesus]

 

Same colour as mine. I want that o/s/r door - it hasn't had a trolley parked in it by some unfeeling heartless bastard!

 

Some M-plate pov-spec Corolla action...

[Lord Sterling]

Rover 800

Rover 200/400 wedge shapes

Mk3 Fiesta

mk4/5 Escorts

Mk3 Cavalier

Audi 80s/100s

Vauxhall Senators

Renault 19s/21s

etc...

 

Although alot of 70s/80s/90s tat has indeed appeared to have disappeared off the road, I think there is still a fairish amount of tat still out there, though they are certainly not as common as they once were. Most of this tat is now in the hands of enthusiasts, Sid 'n' Doris types just clinging onto independance and those who dont care for the latest in motoring.

 

There is a huge amount of rubbish thats been simply scrapped or broken up. Apart from the obvious scrappage scheme which did little more than to hurry up the clearence of tat on road, there are also many other contributing factors.

 

You've got finance, and the general publics forced-upon insistance on buying everything 'new'. their old car is often sold onto those who simply run them into the ground or wieghed in should the value of scrap exceed thier value. Others may choose to break (CUZ DERS MOOR MONEY IN IT) some will simply scrap and some may fall into the hands of yoovz and thier idea of turning thier "cheap old banger" into some sort of project.

 

Also with many older cars having been turned into bean cans, you've got your inevitable 'cheaper to weigh it in' types when scrap goes through the roof, banger racers and those who choose to hold on to them because they 'might' restore it one day. This is what adds to the falling numbers of old tat.

 

Society today has become lazy, very few people are interested in working on thier cars anymore, people just want jump in and drive, I mean, look at the numbers of people who dont even know what 'servicing a car' means. Also, they cant be bothered to do thier homework, whilst it might be cheaper in the longer run to hang onto older cars, society is more interested perception rather than reality. With that in mind, views change. For years now, Joe Public has been bombarded with propaganda on how great it would be to buy a car, and with finance, you can too "keep up with the joneses"

 

Anyone who dares to hold onto an "old banger" gets ribbed for wasting time and money on old rubbish, what they seem to forget is this thing called "choice".

 

We seem to have all but thrown away the old "mend and make do" attitude for "everything must be new and current"

 

Sorry guys, I dont know where all that came from I think I need to go and sleep now.

[Rebuilda]

Fourtrak... I could make reasonable use of a mechanically sound but body rotten one 'o those....

Now where's that old dutton sierra...

[barrett]

It's happening remarkably quickly too. I took this Nissan Sunny for my 'endangered species' photo thread only 18 months ago, and it was only when I just looked at it I realised that the Mondeo behind it wasn't worth a second glance then, but now would be on the endangered species list itself

 

I think that's going a bit far, I still see roughly 678 Mondeos everytime I leave my house (which isn't very often). there are three 1st gen pre-facelift models on my street alone.

[Lord Sterling]

It's happening remarkably quickly too. I took this Nissan Sunny for my 'endangered species' photo thread only 18 months ago, and it was only when I just looked at it I realised that the Mondeo behind it wasn't worth a second glance then, but now would be on the endangered species list itself

 

I think that's going a bit far, I still see roughly 678 Mondeos everytime I leave my house (which isn't very often). there are three 1st gen pre-facelift models on my street alone.

 

Depends on where you live. Some parts of the country I've heard people complaining they havent seen even one Rover. Yet here in Brum its wall-to-wall Rovers of all generations, particularly wedge-shape 200s, I can spot at least 5/6 wedge 200s a day. 1st gen Mondeos seem to be getting thin on the ground, but I could probably spot a fair few if I try.

[garycox]

There are quite a few Mk1 Mondeos still around, but most I see are later N/P reg ones... I haven't seen an earl K/L reg one for a while...

[Shep Shepherd]

There are still a lot of 1990s cars in my area, but Daewoo Nexias and Esperos have been disappearing at quite a rate recently. I'll leave it up to you to judge whether this is a good thing or not.

[dollywobbler]

There's lots of old Nineties tat still alive in Wales. In fact, we're so behind the times here that Kia Prides are still Mazda 121s! I regularly see a Fiat Fiorino.

 

There are one or two older cars still in use too - I regularly see an E28 Beemer, Merc 190s are pretty popular and there's even a Moggy Traveller that still seems to be a regular workhorse. I never have my camera handy though...

[Wilko220]

Until recently there were loads of these really shite Protons being driven about by old people. Not now...

 

[Shep Shepherd]

Until recently there were loads of these really shite Protons being driven about by old people. Not now...

 

There are quite a few of them in my area, mostly the MPI versions. I've always quite liked them

[CIH]

I reckon Carina Es will be the next RWD OMG Escorts. Obviously thge Execs and GTIs will be DOLLAR while the lesser models will benefit from the association and rareity.

 

Stash them away peeps. You read it here first!

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Cars that are up to 21 years old in being binned at an accelerated rate shock.

[AnthonyG]

There are still plenty of Fourtraks trundling about West Wales, farmers were buying them right up to W/X reg round here.

[retro80sboy]

more 80s than 90s - but, mk 2 VW Jettas.

 

 

my mate has one though on a G reg, had it for years. The other day he even had some fella in the petrol station remark that 'you dont see many of those around anymore'

[Formula Autos]

Cars that are up to 21 years old in being binned at an accelerated rate shock.

 

I thought the first line of my thread-starting post had explained things, but obviously not. We all know old cars get binned. My point was that some are being binned at a surprising rate. Take the Passat - generally regarded as a good, solid car in its day by Joe Public, and now a rare sight. I thought this worthy of discussion, that's all.

 

Were I to have taken this attitude with your (admittedly excellent) Cyprus spots thread I could have thrown in a pithy "Old vehicles left abandoned all over Cyprus and surviving better than in the UK shock. If only the classic car magazines had tipped us off about this".

 

I know that, if I'm not already there, I will now be going on ze list

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Sorry, I should have binned the keyboard after my second bottle of Co-op Czech lager last night.

 

Surprised no one's mentioned the P10/Mk1 Nissan Primera, though there's probably some obscure suburb where they're still common.

They're good all round cars with no major weaknesses, the back of the sills rot out in a Mk3 Cavalier style but that's about all.

Another worthy car killed by indifference.

[Shep Shepherd]

Sorry, I should have binned the keyboard after my second bottle of Co-op Czech lager last night.

 

Surprised no one's mentioned the P10/Mk1 Nissan Primera, though there's probably some obscure suburb where they're still common.

They're good all round cars with no major weaknesses, the back of the sills rot out in a Mk3 Cavalier style but that's about all.

Another worthy car killed by indifference.

 

I agree. I haven't seen a first generation Prim for quite some time.

[Formula Autos]

Sorry, I should have binned the keyboard after my second bottle of Co-op Czech lager last night.

 

Surprised no one's mentioned the P10/Mk1 Nissan Primera, though there's probably some obscure suburb where they're still common.

They're good all round cars with no major weaknesses, the back of the sills rot out in a Mk3 Cavalier style but that's about all.

Another worthy car killed by indifference.

 

Agree totally about the Primera - you see the odd one, but given how many were about in the '90s (when the car magazines were lauding them as FWD family car par excellence) there's surprisingly few left. Even odder when you consider that most cars churned out by Japanese companies seem to have a pretty good survival rate. There are probably more Starlets round my way than Fiestas of a similar vintage.

[RoadworkUK]

Where have all the Renault 19s and Chamades gone? Can't remember when I last saw a 19 that wasn't a 16v Cab.

[Albert Ross]

Mk3 Fezzas. No love anywhere for them except the 'bridge. Of cousre, that is, if they don't dissolve before they get there.

[warren t claim]

Skoda Favorits. I can't remember the last time I saw a working one.

[Pete-M]

Hasn't Hirst got a Mk1 Primula somewhere?

[Polystratus]

Skoda Favorits. I can't remember the last time I saw a working one.

 

Do still see the occasional one, the last one I seen had rust on every body panel. If get to see it again will get a photo (provided it hasn't been scrapped since).

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

 

I'm not sure, but he does co-own a mk1 Primera eGT.