- Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs proposes ‘one-stop safety check’
- Trial to make it easier for owners to get DVLA checks on restomods and restored classics
- Response submitted as part of the classic car testing call that ended in July
In future, if the DVLA’s proposed regulations are implemented, certain classic cars may be required to undergo extensive safety checks.
The Federation of Historic Vehicle Clubs wants to see a “single safety check” introduced for historic vehicles that have undergone major refurbishment or modification.
The FBHVC requested these changes in response to a call for evidence from the DVLA.
The call for submissions, which ran for eight weeks between May and July, gathered responses from industry, enthusiasts and owners on how classic cars can be preserved for future generations.
The Federation of Historic Vehicle Clubs wants to see a “one-off safety check” introduced for historic vehicles that have undergone major refurbishment or modification.
The FBHVC, which represents 250,000 members and “exists to defend the freedom to use historic vehicles on the road”, does not want to change the MOT exemption structure for the vast majority of classic cars.
Any vehicle registered more than 40 years ago no longer needs to undergo an annual technical inspection, as the general consensus is that these engines are owned by enthusiasts who look after them and work on them privately as most are prized assets.
However, the Federation wants a new ITV-type test that is applied only to historic vehicles that have undergone major restructuring or modifications and that is a “unique” test.
The new test, like a vehicle inspection, would “assess the vehicle against the technical standards applicable when it was new” but would be a “more thorough inspection than a vehicle inspection,” the FBHVC says.
Other ideas put forward by the Federation in the call for tests include possible “disassembly to allow full access to all parts of the vehicle.”
While this may seem like a lot of extra hurdles for classic car owners to overcome, the organisation (which represents the wishes of owners, individuals and dealers to government and lawmakers) is actually trying to simplify the problems with current historic vehicle registrations.
Currently, Individual Vehicle Type Approval is not compatible with recently restored or reconditioned classic vehicles and, according to the Federation, “is totally inadequate and not suitable in this context”.
The current individual vehicle homologation is not compatible with recently restored or reconditioned classic vehicles and is “totally inappropriate and not suitable in this context” according to the Federation.
When This is Money reported on the call for evidence, the Historic and Classic Vehicle Alliance (HCVA) warned that the registration system was failing at this critical time.
If for any reason the DVLA decides that your car is subject to a new VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), usually if it has been imported or heavily modified, then it must be reassessed in order to pass the vehicle approval again.
But since the 1980s, the decision-making process behind the DVLA’s intervention has been a complete mystery, with owners being given Q plates for changes as minor as drilling a hole.
HCVA chief executive Guy Lachlan said: “It’s the only industry that operates with rules that are not published anywhere.”
This is despite the HCVA stating that “even a radical change does not eliminate the vehicle’s identity.”
The DVLA will then instruct you to re-register your car with a new VIN, Individual Vehicle Approval and Q-plate registration number.
Like the HCVA, the FBHVC wants this process to be tailored to work with restored and highly modified cars, such as restomods.
The FBHVC believes that this one-time inspection, if carried out with classic vehicles in mind and structured appropriately for them, will remove the problematic step of trying to understand and pass the complicated individual vehicle approval process.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced the call for classic car trials at Bicester Heritage on 9 May.
The FBHVC said in its response to the call for tests: “The existing periodic testing (MOT) regime, with an exemption from compulsory testing for most historic vehicles over 40 years old, but with provision for voluntary testing if desired, is broadly satisfactory, although there are issues with its application to historic heavy vehicles.”
Whether this MOT-type test is incorporated into legislation will depend on our new Labour government and whether it implements the findings of the summons.
It was introduced by the previous Conservative government under then Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
Labour MP Louise Haigh, who now holds the post in the Labour cabinet, has not yet announced whether she intends to continue the work left by her predecessor.
