One of the unintended consequences of London’s ultra-low emissions zone is that some of the classic British vehicles of our time may have to be taken off the road.

Motoring enthusiasts are worried that many cherished car owners may take the option of a tempting £2,000 scrappage scheme, rather than have to pay exorbitant daily fees to drive their cars.

While cars of a certain vintage will be exempt from the ULEZ, those manufactured or registered after 1981 will be caught in the trap of having to pay to drive, if the vehicle lives inside the low-emission zone they will have to pay £12.50 each time they want to drive - it could cost £650 a year to drive just once a week.

According to classic car insurer Hegarty, there are a number of stone-cold classics from the 80s, 90s and 00s which will face a tricky decision, including vehicles such as the Peugeot 205 GTi and the VW Golf GTI Mk2

“Many owners of cherished vehicles that travel insignificant distances each year will feel hard done by if they’re caught in the ULEZ expansion,” said Hagerty UK editor, James Mills.
“People have emotional connections to cars and bikes, may have invested blood, sweat and tears – not to mention a significant sum of money – to maintain and preserve them for future generations yet they face a huge bill to drive the pride and joy just once a week. Or they face the wrench of having to sell the vehicle.
“Given the small volumes of cherished vehicles involved, which individually generate less CO2 annually that a mobile phone or personal computer, the ULEZ rules will strike some as seeming heavy-handed.”

The worry is that with the ULEZ scrappage scheme offering up to £2,000 to owners who scrap their non-compliant vehicles, there could be a cull of some of British motoring’s most memorable cars.

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