Classics being lost to scrap scheme
Hyundai claims the scrap scheme has already got punters 'flocking to showrooms' to trade in their old bangers for a shiny new Korean motor, though the maker also reports some surprising swapping going on.
Among the old motors being driven (and in some cases towed) into the dealerships is a selection of BMWs, Audis and Mercs, as well as some bona fide classics. One person even traded a Jaguar XJ-S in for a Hyundai i10.
It seems that Hyundai is experiencing a scrap free-for-all, actually, and a quite amusing one at that. One 94-year-old gentleman, for example, turned up late to collect of his new car because on the way to the dealership a wheel fell off the Citroen he was about to trade in. And apparently, Rovers are the most commonly towed-in cars, largely because of head gasket problems. Other cars swapped for a Hyundai include a Nissan 300ZX, an MG Midget and a mid-engined Fiat X1/9 sports car.
The oldest car traded in so far is a 1966 Austin 1100, though a 1968 Morris Minor runs it a close second. And for those worried about the implications of some simply taking the easy way out and scrapping cars that are perfectly restorable, the Government scrap rules allow for some traded-in cars to be stripped of their good parts in order to help keep other classics on the road.
