MOT Exemption for 40 Year+

[swedishandgerman]

Can't believe this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consul...toric-interest

It's official: cars over 40 years old will be exempt from MOT. Part of me feels relieved to save myself £159 for my 3, but despite looking after my cars to a standard, there's usually something I've overlooked when the old car gets rolled in for its MOT. As such, I will still pay a person to do a check. All said, I said I'd do that when I had my '53 Citroen and the MOT rules changed and I never did it.

[SvenSomerset]

Personally, I think this is just plain wrong-headed! If you don't get yer classic car MOT'd, how will you know that it's safe to drive, for yourself, other road users and pedestrians, until it's too late? Okay, if you do all your own repairs/maintenance then you'll know whether your car's safe, but what about all of us who don't have the skills? Never mind unscrupulous sellers, who'll now be able to bamboozle unsuspecting buyers without them even having the 'safety net' of MOT certs?

[luggsey]

Will there be a way to stop people buying an old log book and creating a fantasy vehicle to transfer a numberplate?
I have my old series 2A Land-rover in storage and I slipped up by not putting the numberplate in the transfer process which I can't do now due to the Land not being mot ready by a long way!
Would it now be legal for me to insure it just to get the plate transfered to my Volvo I wonder?

[volvonic272]

There is nothing to stop you paying £50 and getting your car checked to make sure it's safe every year.
The fact is now it won't be compulsory, after 20th May 2018?
I agree that some will drive their classic car without it being maintained or its road worthiness checked, relying on the fact they only do a low mileage each year.
However it's up to the owner/ driver to ensure that the vehicle is not in a dangerous condition.
The same applies to any vehicle being driven on the road, regardless of whether it requires a test certificate or not.

Dave

[SvenSomerset]

Originally Posted by volvonic272

There is nothing to stop you paying £50 and getting your car checked to make sure it's safe every year.

That's what we'll be doing... as a friend of mine pointed out, the modern MOT test isn't really applicable to historic vehicles, and many garages (at least in our neck of the woods) really don't want to tackle them. But why not just introduce a lesser version of the test, just for classics?

Originally Posted by volvonic272

I agree that some will drive their classic car without it being maintained or its road worthiness checked... However, it's up to the owner/ driver to ensure that the vehicle is not in a dangerous condition.

I think a good comparison, as to why this move could prove a bad idea, is the situation when they brought in an equiv to the MOT in France, which is now required every four years. My father-in-law told me about it, when I asked why you don't see many classic vehicles driving around anymore – apparently, so many failed or required serious work to pass the test, the majority of them never having had to undergo any kind of MOT before, that it immediately wiped most of 'em off the road! In future years, I can see an increasing number of poorly maintained classics passed off by unscrupulous buyers, and many of them continuing to be driven on British roads...

[arcturus]

My 1961 PV is now registered as a historic car after an initial inspection and won't need to be inspected for four years after which time it need to be re inspected and given a new cert'. Most vehicles of this type only cover low mileages. If I have any niggles I just take it to my local inspection center at a quiet time and have them check it out

[classicswede]

I will continue to have my cars inspected. I do not think removing the need for a MOT is a good idea as many classics are not in that great condition including a lot of show winners. What I'm not sure about is is this something classic car groups have even asked for? Maybe a 2 year inspection might have been suitable with typical low miles in mind.

[SvenSomerset]

Originally Posted by classicswede

What I'm not sure about is is this something classic car groups have even asked for?

From the government response document:

"1. 899 respondents to this question supported the Government’s proposal to exempt vehicles over 40 years old from MOT testing, while 1,130 respondents were opposed.
The chief argument against the exemption was that all vehicles travelling on the highway should have an annual test for safety reasons.

2. The Government has decided to proceed with the exemption..."

Says it all, really... according to that document, 2,141 individuals responded, plus 24 businesses, 6 trade bodies, 9 public bodies (including museums), and 37 other organisations/groups (mainly motorists' clubs). Not enough, in my opinion...

[Faust]

Always been opposed to making classics MOT exempt... most owners will take pride in keeping their cars in good order, but it'll only take a couple of incidents involving classics in poor condition before the daily mail (and other trash sections of the media which rely on scaring the public) too start shouting 'OUTRAGE! Ban these death traps from our roads - your kids will be NEXT!' and then we'll all suffer.

I'll be getting my car inspected once and year and I'll try to persuade others to do the same.

[Volvo_133]

I consider myself competent to carry out most of the maintenance and repairs on my car, I spent 3 years restoring it except for the spraying and chroming.Be it a classic motor or a modern car, any mot tester should be competent to check steering, brakes and that the structure is in good order. We can check lights,wipers, horn etc. My mot tester has had brake pipes on modern cars burst on the rolling road. Many modern cars are failing on defective tyres and inoperative lights, purely because the owners do not check.
For the sake of £35 mine will be MOT,d each year for my own piece of mind and the fact that the insurance companies cannot say my car was not proven to be roadworthy as it has not been checked by a competent person.