Buy a pick-up truck, get a free machine gun

The various scrappage schemes currently boosting car sales in countries around the world have been accused of being environmentally and financially unsound, but none is as questionable as the sales promotion being run by an American car dealer.

Max Motors, a Kansas City car dealer, is offering a free AK-47 assault rifle with every pick-up truck it sells in August.

Car sales in America are down 28% year on year, so dealers are resorting to increasingly bizarre measures to lure customers.

An estimated 900 car dealerships in America went out of business in 2008.

Buy one car, get one free

A car dealership in Florida earlier this year offered a ‘buy one, get one free’ deal on its stock of Dodge Rams SUV vehicles.

The University Dodge dealership in Miami sold over 40 vehicles during the promotion, which promised customers a free Dodge Ram when they bought a 2008 model.

Extend the life of your car

Changing a car frequently has a financial as well as environmental cost; drivers who buy a car new and then trade it in at three years incur a cost of as much as 50% in depreciation. A good car warranty from a reputable company can make your driving greener by extending the useful life of your car.

Green breakdown cover

The ETA provides motorists and cyclists with green breakdown cover and insurance and campaigns for sustainable transport.