Sacrilege? Cash For Clunkers Saw More Than A Handful Of Exotics Destroyed For A Pittance

That's just stupid, can't you donate cars like those to charity and take a tax right off that will probably end up at the same price or more?

yes, you can. but its a tax write off, not right off

I would use the old addage "more money than brains "...but in this case it seemed they needed the money just as bad.

Timzilla has a great point. I remember once going to a car lot and in the back, a 2006 Audi A8L was received in on trade, and believe me, it needed work mostly inside were it looked like a dump truck had tossed loads of garbage inside. The carpet was filthy, head liner had soda splattered on its surface, and the leather was so dirty, it looked brown instead of tan. The exterior had scratches from front to back. Who would destroy such a beautiful car. What, it would take thousands to get it to quality standards to sell but to what point?

My old boss had a Bentley Brooklands (like a Conti R without the Turbo) and even with low miles the repair bills just from driving it were astronomical. These people probably just said the hell with it this car deserved to die. That said I think he got over $25,000 when he traded it on another car.

They definitely could have gotten more for it by selling it to a small used dealer who would have been excited just to say he has an Aston Martin or Bentley on his lot.

I believe you underestimate rich people who try to be green. I would wager that the people who turn these cars in are trying to set an image that they are devoted to "saving the world". That image is worth far more to them then the price of the car.

agreed JoeLimon, unless you mean the "green" politicians (Al Gore) who get rid of old expensive (gas guzzling) cars, then get new ones to go with their power hogging mansions, private jets, motorcade fleet, etc. Then what do they say? "Save electricity! Fly commercial! Drive Hybrids! " Anyway...

Don't be silly. No one was turning in $100,000 cars for $4,500. LoL.

I am sure that these cars were barely running complete wrecks that were worth nothing more than $4,500. Otherwise, the dealer would have bought the car from the seller for $4,500 and turned around and sold the car at profit for himself. Its a complicated and sophisticated transaction called a "trade in" and dealers do it everyday.

A picture is worth 1,000 words. How about someone posting a picture of these exotics when they were traded in for scrap?

That poor Maserati.
I would've removed the batteries, and put in fresh wires that connect the headlights directly to a power outlet and let it be part of the family in my air-conditioned home over the hot summers. Maybe clean it every single day... make it my work place... some nice stereos so I can make other use of it (; I bet we won't need a car insurance for that!