Please don't stone me!
It was a long journey through 27 EU member states, but eventually it was accomplished: On July 24, 2026, Regulation (EU) 2026/1738 on the circular design of vehicles and the management of end-of-life vehicles (“End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation”) was published in the Official Journal of the EU. The good news: historic vehicles are exempt. It was possible to make a convincing case that cultural heritage on wheels should not be considered waste.
It's a bit of a stab in the heart, though, when you see a classic car in northern Spain that has apparently found its final resting place off-road. It's likely a Seat 124, a licensed replica of the Fiat 124, whose bodywork still looks surprisingly sound. Why anyone would go to the trouble of burying it under rocks is unknown. But it won't be long before it's completely gone. Since professional politicians from Brussels rarely pass through here, this mess will likely remain undiscovered.
That's exactly what the EU is trying to avoid—the careless dumping of vehicles in nature. It doesn't matter whether they're modern classics or classic cars. Now, we don't know what condition this 1960s car was in. But there surely would have been a way. If it were intact, it could have been salvaged for parts. If it were drivable, the younger generation could have learned something from it. If it were scrap, at least the value of the metal would have remained. Either way—every classic car is too good to be stoned to death.
