Vauxhall's old car trade in

Figures show that an estimated 6.75 million cars on Britain's roads are more than 10 years old, with many millions more nearing this age. Some people choose older cars because of the fact they are cheap to buy, whilst others do so because they like a model that is no longer in production or are particularly attached to a specific car.

Whilst the fact that these cars have reached this age says great things about the longevity and build quality of them, unfortunately the same can't be said about the emissions they produce. Recent technological advancements mean that cars are much more environmentally friendly than they used to be, i.e. they release less CO2, other gases and particulate matter into the environment when they burn fuel.

For example, the design of catalytic converters has been improved so that they work more efficiently, meaning that newer cars produce a lot less nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide than older ones.

Changes in the design of some other engine components have also meant that cars run more economically and burn less fuel than they used to. Less fuel being burnt means fewer emissions - and is also desirable for motorists as it means they can get more miles to the gallon.

Those who form the group who love an older model or a particular car are unlikely to be persuaded away from their vehicle simply because of its emissions, and instead are likely to drive it until it can be driven no more. However, those who own an older car simply because they could pick it up for a few hundred pounds may find an offer from Vauxhall tempting.

In an effort to clear the UK's roads of old, highly-polluting cars, Vauxhall is offering extra money to those who trade their aged car in for a new, clean model. For every car that is scrapped through the scheme, the owner gets £1,000 towards the cleanest Corsa, Astra, Zafira or Meriva in the Vauxhall range. Even if an owner can't bear to send their car to the scrapheap, Vauxhall are still offering a £250 incentive for trading it in for a newer model.

A spokesperson for Vauxhall explained: "Modern, low-emissions vehicles can only help the environment when they also replace the old cars which still blight Britain's roads. We know that there are many drivers who would love to see their old car scrapped and replaced by a modern, safe, fuel efficient, reliable and 'greener' vehicle, but they think they can't afford it. Vauxhall will now assist them."

However, Vauxhall's isn't the only scheme designed to get older cars off the road. Officials from Edinburgh Council are taking a much less driver-friendly attitude to the problem of polluting vehicles in their plans to ban all old vehicles from the roads.

They got the idea from Stuttgart, in Germany, where nearly every car built before 1992 and many of those built before 1996 will be banned from the town centre. The city is regularly breaking the recommended levels of emissions under EU regulations and it is hoped that these tough new rules will prove successful in cutting the amount of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, unburned hydrocarbons and particulate matter in the air.

Motorists who are spotted flouting these regulations will be stopped and fined by traffic police, although they will not have their cars confiscated or points added to their licence which will affect their car insurance in the future. It is hoped that the thought of a fine - plus people's environmental conscience - will be enough to persuade them to give up their old banger sooner rather than later.

With all this effort being put into removing older cars from our roads, perhaps the learner driver pottering around in a rusty old Metro or the ancient Astra van spewing out clouds of smoke will be things of the past. However, those who have an interest in classic cars will be glad to know that there are likely to be some exceptions for historic cars.

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