Data from Cartakeback.com
Car recycling network CarTakeBack reports another surprising year for scrap car recycling – reversing 2022’s trend – with a drop in scrap prices and an increase in the average age of a scrap car to 17 years. Bar a peak in Spring that saw an average of £348 in May and a slight lift at the end of November to £276, there has been a gradual and continual decrease in prices throughout 2023.
Scrap Car Prices – Year-on-Year Comparison
The average scrap car value in 2022 was £331. This year the overall average has decreased by 4.5% to a value of £316.
Rebecca Currier, CarTakeBack Marketing Manager, reflects on 2023’s scrap car market and looks ahead to 2024:
“We were so delighted to be able to offer our customers record prices in 2022, but a drop was always on the horizon. While 2023’s prices have decreased during most months, the overall drop of only 4.5% year on year is relatively small. We only have to go back as far as 2020 to see an annual average price of £160, which puts this drop into perspective.
Thankfully, during the ongoing issues of cost of living, we’re still able to give people the best value for their old cars and, of course, a responsible recycling service, which is vital to our environment and a sustainable economy.
As we move into 2024, we cannot be sure how the scrap market will fair. What we can predict is that the average age of scrapped cars is likely to rise again as more people are holding onto their cars for longer.”
Top Cars Scrapped in 2023
Model
For another year CarTakeBack recycling centres scrapped more Ford vehicles in 2023 than any other makes, with Vauxhall and Peugeot in second and third positions, respectively.
The top five models scrapped in 2023 were:
- Ford Focus
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Ford Fiesta
- Vauxhall Astra
- Vauxhall Zafira
SMMT has confirmed that 2023’s most scrapped vehicle model – a 17-year-old Ford Focus – had over 50,000 more new registrations 17 years ago than any other model.
Colour
More silver cars were scrapped than any other colour vehicle, with blue and black coming in close second and third places. The grey shade that started to become so popular in the 2000s is the next most frequent colour we’ve seen in scrap cars in 2023, with red and white finishing in 5th and 6th place.
Fuel
Of the vehicles scrapped in 2023, 60% were petrol and 39% were diesel. Just 1% covered the hybrid and electric cars we’ve started to process.
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