Yes, this is the big lie here. Good, roadworthy cars were crushed. It's much better for the environment, if you hold a car as long it is possible, not to throw it away and produce new one with many more energy.
90% of the energy-effort, a car need in his whole life, will be used for the production.

At first it was officially said, that this 2500 Euro-wrecking-bonus was meant to to something for the environment, less (Diesel-)dust, less CO2, but this was never the real background. The main reason is, to push up the car-industry, which has, even in Germany, actually big problems. In the last quarter of 2008 the selling of new cars war collapsed over here.

At least it will be just a "straw-fire", we say in German. Light, but with a soon ending.
At first the German car-industry will not participate much. The majority of the cars, sold now due this 2500-Euro-bonus are small one, built in Korea, Romania or somewhere else, but not here. Also the VW Fox is not a German car, the Opel Meriva neither, the most Polo's, Opel Corsa's and Ford Fiesta's weren't assembled in Germany, too.

And what shall happen, when the 1.5 Billon Euro, the government has provided for this, are consumed? The will be no second serving.
The people, who want to have a new car, will have bought one, the others will keep their old ones, as the wanted to do anyways.
And it will be hard to understand for the people, that, after this bonus is gone, there won't be more discounts on new cars any more. So the interest in new cars will be collapsing much more than in late 2008.

In Germany we had much less discounts and special offers on cars, than it was usual in the USA in the last years. The car-brands and the dealers don't want to flog their cars as the Americans have done. And especially nowadays they don't have any money left, to survive such discount-waves.

It's that kind of thing that makes me hate these programs so much. A 1996 model with 100000 km? That's nothing! Practiaclly brand new to me! What a waste..

Yes, it is rather recent and seemed in good shape, but maybe it had some engine damage or a severe front/right damage not visible on screen

Wow did you see the orange Focus ST in the background?
Eventhough I'm not a fan of those it's pretty sad to see.

http://www.digitalcarwallpapers.com/wallpapers/ford_wallpapers/2006_Ford_Focus_S- T_1024x768_03.jpg

It looks in so good state, and with such km, it is strange to wreck such cars, but it shows what I mentioned about wrecking good cars and that Ccf did not believe

A reportage about this 2500 Euro-wrecking-bonus, sponsored from the German government:
http://www.spiegel.de/video/video-50597.html

Quite shocking, how new the cars are, the wreckers have in their stock. In annother interview I've read, that in this weeks they don't dismantle the cars carefully, because they got too many per day - and that it's no good business any more to sell used parts because the people, who are buying used parts for old cars, are wrecking their cars now. But the business with scrap-metall is in agony, too. Half a year ago, it was totally different.

Hopefully the 1978 Opel Rekord E in the background has a chance to survive. I know the first wrecking-company, "Kerstingjohänner". 15 years ago they had 2 K 70

They are talking about, how to fool the government, so that you get the 2500 Euro, but sell the car for the export.
It's totally easy, because the authority only need only copies of the "Fahrzeugbrief" (the German "title") - but if you hold the original document, you can do everything with the car.
The reason, why the lady at 5:00 don't talk any more and looks to the authority's press-"officer" in the background was the question of the journalist "Do you have a possibility to avoid any frauds?"

The wrecked 3-Series BMW was a 1996-model with 100 000 km. This car was new enough, to make money with the parts. After a few hours they were sold.

to going back a bit to ruined car-brands, i think about the actual discussion about the future of general motors. because the us-mother is standing so close to the collapse, here in europe the politicians are thinking to rescue the european daughters. the question is, to use government-money or private money.
there was the idea of a coalition of german opel-dealers to collect money to buy the opel-company. perhaps a bit heavy for them.
the leader of this dealer-coalition is that company: www.dresen.de
it has a special reputation -my wife, who works in the claim-department for car-crashes in an insurance, is very pissed about it-, the reputation to be one of the most expensive car-garages in germany. one hour work costs -no kidding- 126 euro (plus 19% tax). the first hour is always fully charged, even when it was only 5 minutes work.


back to saab: the tenor about the saab-future is everywhere "they will not survive. too small, too many debts, boring gm-based cars and not the unique saab-style any more"

no problem, one catch-word is enough for starting.

When Ingo starts with his anecdotes I can't help myself

I was talking about ruining brand image, and now people are talking about Saabs, so the next logical step would be the 9-7x.