Whole generations wiped out

[carlove]

To be honest I can't remember seeing many when they were new, but, I saw a Hyundai S-Coupe today, I wanted to post it somewhere.
This is one of them

This picture is now making me wonder when I last saw one of those Polos.

I was in London last week and saw a Sierra and thought how I've not seen one for years, saw another 5 minutes later, however that was on the back of an AA truck.

[spreadsheet monkey]

KimJongHealthy said:

horsemeatscandal said:

You see a lot of the cars mentioned when in Europe, as I am sure you know. They've clearly never been treat to anything more than compulsory maintenance/repairs, not so much as a clean. But they're all still running!

It's likely due to maintenance costs:cars prices ratio. Britain is one of the few countries where major service on a 10 year old car might exceed its value. Broken gearbox in Italy or Germany means you get another one from scrappy, here it's likely that labour fees would cost you more than another used car.

Yep. Lower repair costs and (in Southern Europe) a warm dry climate with no salt on the roads in winter definitely help to extend the life of cars. In Italy there are still loads of old Pandas, Cinquecentos and Seicentos in regular use.

They may get 5 more years out of their cars than we do in the UK, but they still end up being scrapped eventually. Cars are not designed to last forever.

[MyVTECGoesBwaaah]

eldar said:

Grenadas.

Fairly common knowledge where most of those have gone

[7795]

s m said:

sebhaque said:

The old Frontera is a bit of a rare sight on the roads these days.

That's a good one - I'm struggling to think of when I last saw one - they were reasonably common

There's one in my road; it's rust coloured and they've done a fabulous job. They've got the texture and flakiness down to a tee...!!!!!

[Alias218]

I saw a Vectra earlier today for the first time in goodness knows how long. I have to say, it actually looked rather nice!

It was a 98-99 SRi and was spotless. Not a mark on it. It looked as though it had just rolled out of the showroom. I have time for someone who looks after their cars, even if it an 18 year old Vectra. It's always nice to see an immaculate car on the road, regardless of how old and how basic it is.

[CaptainCosworth]

Alias218 said:

I saw a Vectra earlier today for the first time in goodness knows how long. I have to say, it actually looked rather nice!

It was a 98-99 SRi and was spotless. Not a mark on it. It looked as though it had just rolled out of the showroom. I have time for someone who looks after their cars, even if it an 18 year old Vectra. It's always nice to see an immaculate car on the road, regardless of how old and how basic it is.

Agreed, the other day I saw an early Mk1 Focus, dark blue. Nothing special, but absolutely immaculate paintwork, you could tell it had been looked after well. Could see your reflection in it.

[LuS1fer]

Rust took a large number but the fact is that older cars, certainly up to the Mk 1 Focus were hopeless, dynamically and all cars reach that "doldrums" stage where they perch precariously on the thin line between scrap or preserve. With some, like old Italian metal, you couldn't stop them rusting, if you tried, due to lousy steel.

Just came back from a holiday in Fuerteventura and saw a lovely procession of old 60s Fiats and Alfas, driving out of Corralejo. However, I remember wondering, in the 70s, how anyone could buy something so ugly as this, especially when the Communists started taking over and we had Ladas instead of the 124 and Polski-Fiats instead of the 125


Of course, now you look back and they look cool, even though they are probably lorries to drive.

I also think that car dealers play a big part in getting shot of the less preserved and of course the MOT getting tougher has seen off many a car that would once have survived in a borderline unsafe condition.

[Evolved]

Thank the government for that, the silly scrapage scheme they introduced killed loads of perfectly serviceable cars off!

[LuS1fer]

Evolved said:

Thank the government for that, the silly scrapage scheme they introduced killed loads of perfectly serviceable cars off!

Maybe but most would have perished by now, anyway, 7 years on.

Even the world's most popular car, the Corolla, has precious few surviving.

[yellowjack]

Can't be many of these left, surely?





A 1989 SEAT Marbella GL - all 903cc of it. Taxed until June 2017, MOT'd til January too, so it appears there's life in the old dog yet!

Spotted back in July while cycling back from Goodwood to Farnborough


So I checked on 'how many left dot co dot uk', and there are apparently 40 (licensed) Marbellas left in 2016. Down from about 4.5k in 2001. GL models down from 408 to 3 in that 15 year period.

[LuS1fer]

yellowjack said:

Can't be many of these left, surely?





A 1989 SEAT Marbella GL - all 903cc of it. Taxed until June 2017, MOT'd til January too, so it appears there's life in the old dog yet!

Spotted back in July while cycling back from Goodwood to Farnborough


So I checked on 'how many left dot co dot uk', and there are apparently 40 (licensed) Marbellas left in 2016. Down from about 4.5k in 2001. GL models down from 408 to 3 in that 15 year period.

Saw two original Fiat Pandas in Fuerteventura. Though the bodywork was still good and they had proper glass headlights so no yellowing, you have to wonder how many engines they must have had, after 30-odd years.

[stupidbutkeen]

my wifes old aunt has a 1990 1.1 fiesta with less than 20k on the clocks. she literaly gets it through mot each year with a extra 500 miles or less. Keeps saying when it fails she will scrap it even after I told her its worth a lot more than scrap value.