Does the brand of your car make a difference to its scrap value?
30th Nov, 2018
When your beloved motor has chugged its last, it’s understandable that you’d want to get the best possible price for your scrap car. And if buying it once left you a lot lighter in the wallet, we know it’s definitely nice to get some of that value back when you scrap it! So, you may be wondering, does the scrap value differ between an Audi and a Peugeot? A Ford or a Vauxhall? A Nissan or a Merc? Well, that depends. Allow us to explain why!
Are some brands worth more to scrap than others?
If you’re looking for the short answer, here it is: sometimes. But it’s not necessarily a guarantee! Generally, cars that cost more to buy and run often reflect that increased value in their scrap price, too. For example, a BMW 5 Series is (deservedly) regarded as one of the pricier vehicles in many people’s budgets, and accordingly it’s one of the ones with a higher scrap value. It can also depend on how old your car is. Older cars are naturally going to be worth less than newer models. A Peugeot from 2007, for example, is almost certainly going to be worth less than one from 2017, no matter which scrap car dealer processes it.
However, one of the biggest factors that influence the scrap value of your car is one that’s closely tied to its brand: its weight. The reasons for this are obvious when you think about it. The heavier your car is, the more scrap metal is probably on it, and the more it’ll be worth to dealers. It’s why even relatively cheap but heavy vehicles (such as certain models of Land Rover) are often worth even more than models from arguably more prestigious brands, such as Mercedes or Audi. You can see a table with just a few examples on our Scrap Car Prices page.
We’re just painting with the broad strokes here – there are always exceptions. Generally though, you’ll find that these rules hold true, no matter where you are in the UK! Of course, when it comes to scrapping cars, the difference between the more expensive scrap cars and the cheaper ones might not be as much as you’d think – in most cases, it’s only a few hundred at most.
Is it worth selling off individual parts from more expensive cars?
There’s nothing stopping you in theory. You may well find other car owners who’ll be happy to pay a good price if they’re looking for a specific part for their own car. However, don’t forget that this can have a significant impact on the price you’re able to get for your own scrap car, even if the part you’ve removed is only relatively small. In fact, in many cases, the hit you’ll take on your scrap car’s value can outweigh the profit you’d get from the sales of the individual parts. With that in mind, unless you’re selling off the part as a personal favour to someone, here at Scrap Car Network we’d strongly advise against removing anything before you scrap your car. In the vast majority of cases, it’s just not worth it.
If you’re still looking for a clearer idea of exactly how much you’d get for your scrap car, don’t hesitate to check out our scrap car prices page (linked further up the page), which lays out all of the various factors that affect how much cash you can get for your car. Alternatively, you can take the more direct approach. Just type your car reg and postcode into our homepage to get an instant scrap car quote!
