It’s heartbreaking to think about all the classic cars that were lost to the ULEZ scrappage scheme. These cars would have brought so much joy to their owners over the years. Now, many have been traded in for the price of a small grant and a promise of cleaner air. But at what cost to our automotive heritage?
Data obtained from Transport for London (TfL) by a motoring journalist who goes by the name of Brown Car Guy, finds that over 54,000 vehicles met their ends through the ULEZ scrappage scheme which ended on 7th September 2024, with £186 million in grants handed out to vehicle owners.
Among them were many true classics, which saddens us to see traded in. It’s hard not to feel a pang of sadness knowing these vehicles likely still had so much more life left in them, or at the very least could have been restored by a new owner.
Let’s take a look at which classics were scrapped. But close one eye if you must.
Which classic cars were scrapped?
We’ll start with the Mazda MX-5. 90 of these little roadsters – often hailed as one of the most affordable and fun cars to own – were scrapped. That’s ninety fewer opportunities for someone to experience what pure, unfiltered driving feels like. A rare Mazda MX-6 2.5 GT was also traded, the kind of car that’s increasingly hard to find, yet it’s now gone forever.
Classic Mercedes-Benz models were not spared either. Among them were 58 SLKs, 22 190s and three S500s – cars that could have lived on as treasured classics.
