If you ignore a public authority PCN in England and Wales they can indeed issue an order for recovery authorised by a special court, the Traffic Enforcement Centre. If you then ignore that, the authority can get a warrant of control which allows them to instruct bailiffs to recover the debt.
The upside is that this is the end of it - no CCJ. So some people do chance it say if they've moved and can't be traced or gone abroad, and have disposed of the car and have no other car as vehicles are usually what the bailiffs go for.
