Scrappage ħadem jistaqsi għas-suq il-ġdid tal-karozzi, iżda b'liema spiża għall-isport ta 'spotting klassiċi nofs mejta fil-ġenb tat-triq? Huwa pjaċir minoritarju, iżda wieħed li għandu jappella għal ftit ġewż tal-karozzi, u partikolarment pjaċevoli meta jiġi segwit fi Franza u fl-Italja għal xi raġuni. U dik hija t-tgawdija ta 'spotting karozzi mejta fost ix-xenarju meta tkun miexi. Minkejja snin ta 'impenn ma nistax ngħinha għal din id-devjazzjoni, għadni ma ħdimtx għaliex karozza qadima mejta fin-nuqqas ta' tkabbir hija aktar interessanti mill-istess karozza antika pparkjata fit-triq u ħajja, iżda hija. Forsi hija l-possibbiltà li tippjana salvataġġ. Xorta waħda, dan l-aħħar kont qed insuq minn Franza, u kelli konferma ta 'dak li ilni nibża' - li l-iskemi ta 'skrappjar, it-tindif ambjentali u x-xewqa li nkun tidier, forsi, naddaf il-kampanja Franċiża ta' ħafna fdalijiet mejta. Fost il-ftit karozzi tal-iffurmar li rajt kienu saloon ta '80s Peugeot 305 (l-ebda pangs ta' salvataġġ hemmhekk, għalkemm il-verżjoni tat-tieni ġenerazzjoni kellha xażi brillanti), in-nofs ta 'wara ta' proprjetà Opel Kadett li dehret li ntużat bħala xi tip ta 'agri-ħażna u tal-għaġeb, ftit Austin 1300s fi scrapyards, li kienu jkunu mill-inqas 30 sena. Dan ċertament wassal biex l-investigazzjoni tħeġġeġ, iżda ma kien hemm l-ebda ħin, frustranti, għalkemm dak probabbilment ukoll. Allura ftit spots tajbin, iżda meta mqabbla ma 'għaxar snin ilu din hija attività ta' premjijiet rari. Il-biċċa l-kbira tal-membri tal-pubbliku bbilanċjati sew se jkunu kuntenti b'dan l-iżvilupp naturalment, iżda għalija hija ħasra. Scrappage worked wonders for the new car market, but at what cost to the sport of spotting half-dead classics at the roadside?It's a minority pleasure, but one that must appeal to a few car nuts, and particularly enjoyable when pursued in France and Italy for some reason. And that's the enjoyment of spotting dead cars among the scenery when you're on the move. Despite years of can't-help-it commitment to this diversion, I still haven't worked out why a dead old car in the undergrowth is more interesting than the same old car parked on the street and alive, but it is. Perhaps it's the possibility of planning a rescue. Anyway, I was driving through France recently, and had confirmation of what I have long feared - that scrappage schemes, environmental clean-ups and the desire to be tidier, perhaps, has cleansed the French countryside of many a dead wreck. Among the few mouldering cars that I saw were an '80s Peugeot 305 saloon (no rescue pangs there, although the second-generation version had a brilliant chassis), the rear half of an Opel Kadett estate that appeared to have been used as some sort of agri-storage and amazingly, a couple of Austin 1300s in scrapyards, which would have been at least 30 years old. That certainly triggered the investigation urge, but there was no time, frustratingly, though that's probably as well. So a couple of good spots, but compared to a decade ago this is an activity of rare rewards. Most well-balanced members of the public will be pleased at this development of course, but for me it's a pity.