NEWS

ALFA Romeo is pleased to join the September scrap sales success party, with eye-opening figures. Nearly 2000 Alfa Romeos were registered in September – a rise of nearly 150 percent! OK, the numbers were perhaps too small to be truly representative, but they are still a clear sign of the strides being made by the [...]

SCRAPPAGE sales accounted for 21 percent of September new car registrations, says the SMMT. This means 77,316 scrappage cars were sold. It also means the total amount of cars registered under the scheme now stands at 178,278. Of course, this doesn’t include cars already on order, too – they take the figure far higher. ‘The [...]

SEPTEMBER’S big sales increase is ‘largely due to the vehicle scrappage scheme,’ says the RMI. Director Sue Robinson praised the Government for responding to calls from car dealers. ‘The Government’s response to RMI pressure to extend the scheme is stimulating the motor industry as a whole. ‘Car dealers are reporting that the scheme is continuing [...]

SMMT chiefs have taken the unheralded step of issuing an anticipatory car registration INCREASE announcement. The official statement comes ahead of tomorrow’s latest UK car sales reveal. ‘Figures due to be released tomorrow by the SMMT,’ says the statement, ‘are expected to show the third monthly increase in new car registrations in September as consumers [...]

MOTORPOINT has come out in disagreement over the £100m cash boost given to the new car scrappage scheme. To back up its stance, it points to findings from its very own customers… … Which reveal that over 85 percent DISAGREE with the extension of the scheme! This supports frustrations from the firm’s MD, David Shelton. [...]

THOUSANDS more motorists can dump their old cars for new ones, thanks to the scrappage extension. Ford says the extension of the deal announced last week is already seeing car buyers benefit. People such as Mick King, who traded in his 209,000-mile Ford Escort Encore for a new 1.4-litre Fiesta Zetec. The real-life benefits to [...]

CARCRAFT has introduced a promotion claiming to aid car owners ineligible for the official scrappage scheme. Used car owners with vehicles outside the qualification period can still benefit, says Carcraft director Mike Walsh. It’s offering a £2000 trade-in against a selected range of cars… with NO age or ownership restrictions. What’s more, the scheme will [...]

SCRAPPAGE is leading to big gains for one enterprising firm – the cartakeback.com authorised collective. The need for the Certificate of Destruction issued by the firm’s 300-strong Authorised Treatment Facilities is seeing it benefit from the scrappage scheme. But car dealers are in on this bounty, too. So far, the network has paid out over [...]

‘SHORT sighted’ is the Environmental Transport Association’s view of the scrap extension. Yes, it admitted, cars bought under the initiative emit a quarter less CO2 than the scrapped ones. But, it reckons, that CO2 reduction actually ends up costing the Government £370 per tonne of CO2. Whereas the actual environmental cost of CO2 is generally [...]

SMMT chief Paul Everitt has exclusively spoken to Car Dealer Magazine, outlining why scrappage is right. Extending it was the only thing to do, he says. ‘The scrappage incentive scheme has been an integral tool in helping to kick-start the UK motor industry. Until July 2009, the new car market endured 15 months of consecutive [...]

SCRAPPAGE hasn’t just received a funds boost – the scope of the scheme has also been extended by Lord Mandelson. Now, owners of cars registered on or before 29 February 2000 – V-reg – will be eligible for the scheme. This six-month extension of the age limit reflects the longer period the scheme is to [...]

THE scrappage scheme has been extended – with the government today putting in another £100m. Business secretary Lord Mandelson, announcing the move, said: ‘The sector has been strongly affected by the recession, but the scrappage scheme has delivered a boost to manufacturers and the supply chain. ‘We have listened to the concerns of manufacturers and [...]

EXTENDING scrap is a great move – but there could be still more good news on the horizon, reckons one industry exec. Finance and Leasing Association chief Paul Harrison said the scrappage decision is to be welcomed. But, he added, the Government is also in talks with the EU over in Brussels RIGHT NOW, on [...]

CAR makers have praised the Government’s decision to extend the scrappage scheme by 100,000 cars. Nissan has been a key proponent of the scheme – and has responded to Lord Mandelson’s announcement with its own extension. The firm’s ‘Trade-In’ offer, which sees scrappage extended to cars aged 8-10 years, will also be carried through with [...]

ONE way to soften the blow when scrappage does finally end could be Motability sales, say experts.  Network Automotive says Motability sales could provide a soft landing when the scheme ends. These have not fallen by anything like the same amount as regular car sales. Proving, says MD Colin Bruder, that they’re one of the [...]

SMMT data just released shows that car production in the UK remains down – but by a lesser extent. The figures for August show a 31.5 percent decline over 2008. This sounds bad – but it’s a big improvement on the fall of 44.6 percent year-to-date. And it’s all thanks to the new car scrappage [...]

LTI CEO John Russell is the latest UK chief to call upon the Government for an extension to the scrappage scheme. His plea comes as figures show that 1 in 5 London Taxi sales have been down to scrappage recently. ‘LTI Vehicles is an excellent example of the success of the Government’s scrappage scheme and [...]

BUSINESS minister Ian Lucas today spoke, to say Government is doing ‘all it can to support the car industry’… … but he made NO mention of any extension to the scrappage scheme. Meaning a funds boost is unlikely? In the inconclusive statement, Lucas referred to the current £300m scrappage scheme, admitting that ‘I have heard [...]

MERCEDES UK MD Dermot Kelly has added his name to the list calling for a scrap extension… …But there’s a twist! Not only would the Mercedes UK chief like to see the scrappage scheme continued but he’d also like to see it revised to be fairer on all manufacturers. ‘Our preference would be for it [...]

PRICE rises and VAT increases have signaled yet another call for an extension to the scrappage scheme. What Car? says scrappage must be continued, as ‘car buyers face sizeable price increases over the coming months.’ Already, new car prices have risen by nearly 10 percent in 2009, says the title. Used car prices are up [...]