The government has turned on its back on a petition which aimed to stop certain classic vehicles from being scrapped under manufacturer scrappage deals.

Over 14,000 classic car enthusiasts signed up to the petition, which was delivered to the Department for Transport (DfT) on June 21.

While the government had considered the petition, it has said it is up to the manufacturer’s discretion to decide whether classic vehicles should be scrapped or not under the proposal.

The petition aimed to make it illegal for any car with ‘Historic Vehicle’ status listed on its V5 registration document to be accepted as part of scrappage schemes. The petition was started by motoring magazine Practical Classics.

Sir Greg Knight, Conservative MP for East Yorkshire and someone who is regularly outspoken on road issues, said: “If vehicle manufacturers do buy back historic cars through scrappage schemes they should give serious consideration to what they do with them.

“Many older cars will be worth much more that their scrap metal value as a source for spare parts.”

Scrappage schemes were introduced by most mainstream car manufacturers last year as a measure to try and get polluting vehicles off the road, and instead into newer vehicles which are compliant with tight emissions regulations. Generous discounts are offered by car (and some van) manufacturers to tempt drivers into newer vehicles.

While many have now stopped these schemes, firms such as Kia, Toyota and Hyundai have continued to offer such deals.

Despite the decision being negative news for classic car fans, some have welcomed the decision to allow manufacturers to have the final say.

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs’ communications director Geoff Lancaster said: “We felt uncomfortable about calling for legislation to constrain owners of historic vehicles when our central philosophy is all about protecting freedoms.

“We would prefer that manufacturers make provision for preserving historic vehicles in their scrappage schemes.”

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