Londoners snap up classic cars to dodge ULEZ: Dealers see surge in interest for older models as capital braces for expansion of £12.50 zone

Londoners are snapping up classic cars in a bid to dodge Sadiq Khan‘s ULEZ charge that will be expanded to cover all of the capital’s boroughs next week.

Dealers across the capital have noted a surge in sales of cars manufactured before 1983, which are exempt from the £12.50 charge as they are classed as ‘historic vehicles’.

Merlin McCormack, owner of Duke of London, a vintage car dealership in Brentford, said he had seen customers opting for more affordable classic cars to avoid the clean air levy.

He branded the surge in sales ‘ironic’ as although the cars are exempt from the charge, the older cars are more polluting than its modern equivalent.

Ulez is now the major deciding factor for most Londoners buying motors, the car salesman said. 

Mr McCormack told the Telegraph: ‘We sell a lot of entry level classic cars as well as high end stuff. A lot of what we sell is very driveable early 80s [and] late 70s and where they are [Ulez] exempt a lot of customers are looking to buy that as their sole London car.’ 

Resale and auctioning website Car and Classic has a number of classic cars on sale that will be exempt from the charge.

This includes a 1970 Hillman Imp Super for £9,500, a 1973 Alfa Romeo 2000 for £12,000,  and a 1972 Austin Mini for £20,000.

Under traffic calming scheme, that hopes to reduce the number of polluting vehicles from the capitals roads, Transport for London allows a 40-year window that allows exemptions for cars made in the early 1980s.

These older vehicles are also exempt from road tax, which Garry Short managing director of Classic Chrome in Mortlake, said most people are unaware of.

When the Ulez began in 2019, cars from before 1979 were exempt but as time goes on more cars will start to fall under the exemption. 

As the 40-year window continues, Mr Short said more people are likely to pick up older, classic cars, that are ‘relatively reliable and can be used on a regular basis’, such as Porches built before 1983. 

David Peter, of the Classic Car Company in Mitcham, which looks after private collections of classic cars, also said his clients now consider Ulez when purchasing cars.

He told the paper: ‘I do think that people are weighing up various different options about adding a car to their collections. There is a heightened interest at the moment and people are aware there is a loophole effectively.’

The controversial Ulez expansion to include all 32 London boroughs will be effective from August 29.

A spokesperson for the London Mayor said:  ‘The Mayor has been clear that the decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide was not an easy one, but necessary to tackle toxic air pollution and the climate crisis. 

‘The Mayor and TfL have exempted classic cars from ULEZ 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.’