Cash for "Clunkers"

Today, I've looked at the the list of "clunkers" harvested for scrap, turned in in the Cash For Clunkers program. (available for viewing on the 'net). Interesting... Amongst those headed for the scrap are many Landrovers, Mercedes Benz S series, Alfa 164's, Merkur XR4Tis, Porsche 928's, BMW Z3 roadsters, Peugeot 505s, and an Aston Martin DB7 Volante.

Also many Corvettes, M-Series BMWs, and a 2008 Mustang...

I wonder who would have turned these in, and how many actually made it to scrap?

Some probably did deserve being thrown onto the heap, but I don't think that I could stand around an watch an Aston being held at ifour thousand revs while someone poured resin through the intake.

BTW: If they are taken in by a legit dealer they MUST be scrapped. The engines are destroyed as above and from the moment the paperwork is done there is a trail to cover everyone's butts that leads to the shredder.

Absolutely INSANE program. The government itself disclosed that it cost about $24,000 PER VEHICLE in government expenditures to take in these cars. The people who turned them in bought new vehicles that on average cost about $25,000. That means that it would have bee cheaper to have just given the folks a voucher for $24,000 in exchange for a notarized statement of their old car having been scrapped and let them buy a new car for a grand! Mindlessly insane!

Jack

This whole campaign was a scam. The only people who could afford to buy a new car after the $4500 were not the people who were driving the real clunkers.`

Was it mandatory to buy an American built vehicle to reap the rewards of that program or did a large majority purchase foreign made cars and trucks?

Paul

Foriegn and domestic, made no difference. All were available. Since the taxpayers of USA were the losers, why wasnt it limited to domestic only? Keep at least some jobs going here in USA.
I am willing to guess more Toyotas, Hondas and Mitsubishis got bought than Chev's

Well at least we were second and third!

Here's the list...it's an Excel file at http://www.cars.gov/carsreport .

the #1 swap...

junk an F150, buy an F150.

150s were among the most common turned in. Jeep Cherokee up there too.

It would have to be a really stupid dealer/salesman to junk an Aston or the Bentley or many of the Corvettes and otehr items turned in.

The dealer could well have "bought the car" by offering the $4500 allowance and then simply not turned in the paperwork, thus gaining to for resale thru wholesale or even retail channels.

I took part in this program because I was driving a 1998 Cadillac Catera that needed a new radiator, major front suspension work to the tune of $2500 with parts and labor (remember it is a Cadillac), new valve cover gaskets, and had a slipping transmission. The car is only worth $2500 to $3500 in good running condition so the "Clunker Program" was right up my alley... so I thought. I purchased a new Chevrolet Malibu LTZ on July 29 and just received my tags on Tuesday, November 3. One month after I purchased the car I received a call from the Dealership telling me that there was a mistake and I needed to sign a new contract for the car. It was going to go up, you guessed it... $4500 because my car didn't qualify for the program. After many heated battles and several calls to the Federal Government Consumer Help LIne, Attorney General of Virginia, and the Better Business Bureau... I finally got them to leave me alone. It took 3 months for them to get my paperwork right and one last call to apologize for the trouble and to let me know that they were going to have to eat the Cadillac because they made a mistake. How many people fell for this scam of having to return to the dealership because their cars didn't qualify? I blame the individual dealerships and not the Government.

Sigh... Reread the original post and look how quickly it turned political...

The subject of the post was interest in the type and variety of cars that were turned in. It becomes political when you start discussing government policy - that is the definition of political, using words like "absolutely INSANE program".

If something negative against the establishment isn't political, what is?

Anyway, I've had this conversation before, so I'm done.

I have to say that it's not all bad. I recently bought a Mercedes Benz 560SEC and a Mercedes Benz 560SEL and i've been able to find many good usable parts in junk yards along with parts for a Mercedes Benz SL. These cars are very rarely found in the pick and pulls. I was able to three two very rough cars into good drivers using c4c parts cars.