THE EXTENSION of London’s £12.50-a-day Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) to all of the Capital’s boroughs last year left many drivers and enthusiasts out of pocket and has already condemned many modern classics to scrap.
As ever, drivers have come up with workarounds and one such tactic is to run a historic vehicle that by its age is ULEZ exempt – or is soon to become ULEZ exempt – and run it as an everyday car into and out of London. Dealers such Duke of London, based in Brentford, have begun to see more and more people purchasing classics in this manner.
Owner Merlin McCormack told This is Money: “We have seen a massive spike in people looking for pre-1984 cars, which still have extras like heated seats, air conditioning, but have far more character in comparison to a new car. These are all cars that can be used as daily drivers, but won’t lose half of their value when you leave the forecourt.
“There is an undeniable hypocrisy with the ULEZ exemption, because these cars will fail modern emissions standards. But if you look at the entire lifespan of the car, a 40-year-old motor has already more than written off the carbon footprint of producing it.”
While it’s true a growing number of investors have begun to buy and sell classics around London to beat the ULEZ, concerns have been voiced about the future of the exemptions that the historic vehicle sector fought so hard to secure, arguing t
