Cruising past the Ulez charges like its 1983.

Drivers are buying up carbon-belching old bangers to dodge Mayor Sadiq Khan’s unpopular Ulez charges in London.

Howl of protest.

Ulez – ultra-low emission zone – is expanding across London next week to a howl of protest from  drivers.It charges drivers £12.50-a-day for driving on the city streets of London. 

But cars made before 1983 are exempt from the Ulez charge. The reasoning is old cars are too expensive to convert to comply with emissions limits.

This means enterprising entrepreneurs in the classic car business are making  a fortune from selling old cars otherwise destined for the scrap heap.

Old cars also exempt from tax. 

Auctioneers Car and Classic are advertising vehicles as exempt from the Ulez charge and they are commanding premium prices, the Daily Telegraph reports. 

They include a 1970 Hillman super Imp for £9,500 and a 1972 Austin Mini for £20,000. The last time these cars were kings of the road,  Harold Wilson was still Prime Minister.

Cars made before 1983 are also exempt from car tax.

“The Ulez is a conversation to be had.”

The 40-year window will move forward to 1984 next year. Car dealers believe even more people will switch on to buying an exempt car.

“When we discuss their collections and cars they want to add to their collections…the Ulez is a conversation to be had,” says David Peters of the Classic Car Company.

“It would be a shame…”

The car sellers say people are buying an old exempt car merely to drive in London even though its emissions are through the roof. Since 1990, alone, technological advances in cars have brought down carbon emissions by four fifths.

A spokesman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan said:” The Mayor and TfL have exempted classic cars from Ulex as they are historic vehicles and are harder to adapt to low emission standards. It would be a shame if people took advantage of this exemption, and ended up driving up the costs to buy these vehicles for genuine classic car hobbyists.”    

Maybe so, but you can be sure in a few months time cars made 1984 are also likely to be in big demand.  A 1984 Renault 4 anyone?