Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7213 Location: Edinburgh

What prompted me was that from time to time I have been walking past a house outside of which was until recently an absolutely immaculate MkI Mondeo.

Years past and regardless of muddy winter conditions it always looked immaculate. Then more recently it had suffered some minor impact damage to a rear door and regular washing appeared to cease. Next it was parked off road ( I assume MOT or tax had run out) and now it has gone.

Despite being one of the most common cars on the road 10 to 15 years ago I very rarely see any and certainly not immaculate ones.

Peter
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1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

The Mondeo will probably suffer the same fate as the Sierra because they were used as taxis. Will the Octavia disappear in a few years time.
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lowdrag · Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1600 Location: Le Mans

Trying to think of cars that have actually disappeared is pretty difficult I feel. I regularly see an immaculate Marina when I am in the UK for example and there is an Allegro club. Early Cavaliers I haven't seen for some time, but the marque that has just about disappeared off of the face of the earth is Humber, although why I just don't know. It was equivalent to a Rover in its day, but Rovers thrive. Again, while Mk 1 Golfs exist I have not seen a Jetta equivalent in probably 20 years.

D4B · Joined: 28 Dec 2010 Posts: 2083 Location: Hampshire UK

The Lada Riva or Skoda Estelle

christine lowery · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2015 4:51 pm Post subject:

all the Ladas were shipped back to Russia our's was

christine

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

Austin Maestro, Mitsubishi Carisma, Renault 19, the list of future fridges made from the past could be huge, the scrappage scheme saw off so many.

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4235 Location: South Cheshire

Hopefully many bland BMC saloon cars designed in the 50's, 60's & 70's Mini excepted!

Dave

Penguin45 · Joined: 28 Jul 2014 Posts: 384 Location: Padiham

If we allow that current "old cars" as we currently accept them (including the gorgeous 1960's BMC cars Very Happy

) are about as extinct they're going to get; ie no longer being gratuitously scrapped as old bangers, then we are really looking at the falling numbers of late '80's cars omwards. I suspect that many will become classics in their turn as old classics became so. Numbers drop off as the rubbish is disposed off until there is the usual small core of "decent" survivors.

I'd be more concerned about cars from the mid '90's onwards. Anything sold as a cheap car has very little chance of long term survival. They are already the motoring equivalents of white goods.

P45.
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'67 Wolseley MkI 18/85, '70 Austin MkII 1800 The Landcrab Forum.

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

Once the ECU costs more to replace than the cars value, it's on it's way to China to return as a washing machine.

Phil - Nottingham · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1252 Location: Nottingham

I think the complicated electronics and so many other model unique parts from lights to engines components fitted on cars from mid 80's will be the end of them. They started being unreliable early on yet most cars electrics (and even mechanics) were similar (J Lucas Prince of Darkness) till mid 80's were basically the same as those from mid 1930's apart from transistorized radios/alternators which started appearing from mid-60's on luxury cars. Said transistors etc have/are degrading but can be easily replaced from stock items but not say an ECU fitted to our 1986 Rover 820 SE which failed in just under 4 years in 1991 and which then cost a small fortune to replace. That was enough for me to turn my back on moderns for ever - our newest car being a late 1972 Rover P5B and oldest a 1938 Rover P2 16. Both have simple electrics and evEn common parts!
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Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 7092 Location: Derby

If we are being asked about which cars face extinction, I am minded to suggest the Lancia Beta. The stylish spyder may be able to survive but what hope is there for the ill fated saloon?
I once had one as a company car but it's 1600 cc FIAT engine proved troublesome - a cracked block in my case - but it was the rust that had most of them on the scrap heap within a short time.

The problem was so severe that the British Government banned their import. What is less well know is that the last of these had greatly improved. Whether a better quality steel was used or the improved rust protection that my car had was the reason but after I had had a good few years use out of it, there was no sign of rust anywhere. The damage to Lancia's reputation had by then been done and used car values were at best in the hundreds rather than thousands of pounds.

If any Betas survive they must be few in number.
Just for a laugh, a garage near me had a Lancia spyder on the forecourt. It was rusty beyond belief but caused a lot of comments. As they say "bad publicity is better than no publicity" Laughing

Ellis · Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2015 12:05 am Post subject:

What surprises me is the number of old Volvo estate cars still in regular use.
I was where I always take my cars for an MOT this afternoon and there was an "E" registered (1987/8 Cool

example, a 700 series (I think) in for it's annual test.

It was in good order and it passed.
There are quite a few around here in regular use - 1980s ones, not earlier.

How often do you see a Vauxhall Cavalier of any description these days?
Arguably a much better car than a Sierra or Mondeo.
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Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4854 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Hi
When did you last see a RWD Starlet or the early Micra (was that RWD as well?)
I had a couple of the former when I had my own driving school in Burnley.

Later on I went to Renaults a 9 and then an 11, don't see them around either.
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Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 7092 Location: Derby

Peter_L · Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2015 4:42 am Post subject:

A list of cars from the 2009 Government Scrappage Program. The numbers recorded may be less than the actual totals. Note the Audi 80 and some of the BMW totals. Like so many imports, the cost of repair and parts reduced resale values. The low cost and prestige value then made them popular to a lot of owners on reduced budgets, who in turn were hard pressed to find the money to cover the high costs of maintenance.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/357672/bis-foi-2014-20775-scrapped-vehicles-supporting-data.csv/preview

Reference to Ray's comments about the Lancia Beta. My understanding is that Lancia carried out a buy back and disposal due to severe corrosion problems and ceased production of RHD models for a period.