Exotic Clunkers also got the Crunch Under Program

Washington DC September 25, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that at its creation, a 1997 Bentley Continental R was one of the most powerful and exclusive cars in the world, with every hand-built copy from the English countryside valued at $300,000 and beyond.

According to the Detroit Free Press, a few weeks back, the owner of one such Continental R decided it wasn't worth more than $4,500, had its engine destroyed, and shipped it to a junkyard with the rest of America's clunkers.

It's one of several rare or surprisingly new vehicles destroyed under the Obama administration's cash for clunkers program designed to sweep old gas guzzlers off U.S. roads.

According to new government data, the rebates of $3,500 or $4,500 were enough to doom the Continental and a '97 Aston Martin DB7 Volante that once had a sticker price of $135,000 to the crusher.

And 37 people decided to clunk models that were less than a year old.

Beyond car lovers' grief over why anyone would destroy sweet rides like a 1999 Mercedes C43 AMG, the value of the junked jalopies plays a major role in deciding whether the $3 billion program helped the economy.

Click here to read more on unusual Clunkers and their effect on the Cash for Clunkers program.