Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

john-saab · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 341 Location: West Dorset

Sorry if it's been posted somewhere else..
I have been approached by 3 different people today who tell me there was an article in a news paper that said pre-1939 vehicles no longer need an MOT..is it true?
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Inglewood · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:57 pm Post subject:

Beaulieu Website News

The requirement to have an annual MOT test for pre-war cars may be scrapped following a meeting between Transport Minister Mike Penning and members of the All Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group, of which Lord Montagu of Beaulieu is President.

The meeting took place 20th January, at the Palace of Westminster between Lord Montagu, Conservative MP for East Yorkshire Greg Knight, who is the Parliamentary group chairman and Transport Minister Mike Penning.

After the meeting Lord Montagu added: “This review is well overdue and I welcome it. I believe that any date of exemption should be a rolling one.”

Mr Knight added: “Accidents involving historic vehicles are extremely rare and the majority of owners are meticulous in keeping their vehicles in good condition. Having to have an annual MOT test for a vehicle which may only travel 100 miles in a year is an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle”.

Minister Mike Penning said, “The MOT is important in helping to ensure that cars are safe for use on our roads. However, we need to be sure that the regulations we impose are having their intended effect. That is why I am going to look at whether there is a case for exempting older historic and classic vehicles from the MOT test. These vehicles are treasured by their owners who want to ensure they are well maintained, and in most cases they use them irregularly. I have asked my officials to look at the evidence on this issue and we will carry out a full consultation to allow interested groups to submit views”.

Mr Knight added, “If these older vehicles are exempted from the MOT test, owners will still be legally required to ensure that their cars are safe, roadworthy and in a proper condition to be on the road. The Minister has made it clear that the exemption will not relate to historic vehicles that are used commercially.”

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22780 Location: UK

Sounds interesting, so long as they don't slip in any restrictions as to the private use of pre-war cars then I'll be happy enough I suppose, not that there is much to test on anything 1930s anyway...

R
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RobMoore · Joined: 16 Jan 2011 Posts: 105 Location: Peterlee

Personally I think this is a bad idea and will only serve to put vehicles on the road in an unfit state. The current MOT is at best a bare minimum standard and we all know there are plenty of vehicles on our roads with MOT's that should never have been given.
Just because someone only takes a car out a few time a year does not warrant removing the need for an MOT.
I hav seen vehicles sit from one MOT to another then fail.

More and more people are moving towards classic cars in the realization that there is a cost saving - no road tax, average mpg and easy maintenance.

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7211 Location: Edinburgh

Like Rick I wouldn't want this if it resulted in some new restrictions on use of pre-war cars.

I don't think many people would choose to use a pre-war car as every day transport on account of the lower insurance cost and lack of road tax.

Peter
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P3steve · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:45 pm Post subject:

I work hard to keep my vehicle in tip top condition and have no problem with someone once a year confirming this. sometimes someone who is detatched from the car might give a better ballanced view on its condition

buzzy bee · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 3382 Location: South Cheshire

Hi

The issue is most testers haven't a clue what to test and how to test older vehicles anyway.

If we are not careful, I can see us having to go down the route of taking the cars to special "registered" old car mot centres or such like, which will probably mean traveling vast distances etc.

It is a hard one, as you don't want unroadworthy vehicles ont he roads, but on the other hand, I don't want the above.

The way I am going with old things, mot's are not really a problem anyway. Smile

Cheers

Dave

MVPeters · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 822 Location: Northern MA, USA

I'd be a bit cautious about this too. I think the vehicle insurance company would want some assurance that the vehicle is deemed "roadworthy" by S Umbody.

Or to turn it around, if you had an accident now in any car that was not MOT tested, can the insurance company refuse a claim for that reason alone?
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Salopian · Joined: 05 Jan 2010 Posts: 354 Location: Newport Shropshire

Your insurance is still valid even if your MoT has expired and they cannot - however your obligation to your insurers to have the vehicle in a sound roadworthy condition overides all and is so regardles of MoT statutus.
You may find a payout for your car reduced on the grounds of lesser value without MoT however.
Always worth reading your policy for catch out clauses though!
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Alvis SD 12/50 1928 MG TD 1950

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4231 Location: South Cheshire

Personally I have no problem with the MOT; whilst I appreciate many items in the test don’t apply, and it must be a challenge for a young tester who tests 1000 Mondeo’s for every 1 pre war car, I find it satisfying to get a pass certificate. Very Happy

At the end of the day although I believe I maintain my vehicles’ to a good standard, I’m not a trained mechanic , neither do I have the luxury of being able to have a good prod around whilst the car is on the ramps. So an annual, 2nd and better qualified opinion is welcome.

It will be interesting to see if the insurance companies react, although we do have this (no MOT needed) situation currently with some older commercial vehices.

Dave

Richard H · Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 2150 Location: Lincolnshire, UK

Nic Jarman · Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:21 pm Post subject:

I have worked for MOD companies and also on aircraft, I am very happy for someone else to check my work. Non of us are perfect and we should all have peace of mind that another pair of eyes have looked at our work. A brake line can look great whilst the car is sitting up on jacks but when it is on the deck there is a possibility of it fouling ( this is just an example ). If the MOT was scapped for my Morris and Talbot I would still have it done voluntarily.
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PAUL BEAUMONT · Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 1281 Location: Barnsley S. Yorks

As usual, lots of good points made here, but chiefly by folk who have a good deal of mechanical knowledge. This would open the gate to anyone dump on the road just about anything that was of sufficient age. Look at some of the wrecks offered on EBay that would only need a bit of bodging by folk with little or no idea what they are doing, before they set forth on the road.
I do feel that the cost of an MOT for an older vehicle is a little unfair, but I feel that another set of mechanically trained eyes running over your pride and joy once a year is not too onerous.
I always find that the guy who does mine is quite interested and realistic and usually it is more of a case of a discussion than a worry.
I recently heard of a guy with a pristine motor who turned up for a MOT and the examiner discovered - mych to the embarassment of the owner, that one front tyre had an enormous split in it. Lets face it £40-50 is only £1 a week in reality.
Finally, if this actually happens I suggest that some sort of an owners club check every couple of years should be put in place so that vehicles are scrutinised at least occasionally, by someone who has some sort of an idea what he is doing.

Keith D · Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:53 pm Post subject:

I am quite surprised at the reluctance of forum members to want the removal of the MOT test for prewar vehicles. Obviously as I live in Australia, it is nothing to do with me, but I was living and driving in Britain when the tests were first introduced in 1960. The screams of horror and predictions of the end of the world would have been heard everywhere! I had to have my first road car tested, a 1946 Austin 10.

Let me ask a very serious question. How many accidents in the UK are actually caused by something being unroadworthy on a motor car? A MOT test is completely irrelevant eleven months and perhaps 10,000 miles later. I have no actual figures, but I suspect the vast majority of accidents are caused by the nut behind the wheel and not by the car itself!

Keith

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

I would worry that the removal of an MOT test would come with conditions, to and from shows only, mileage restrictions etc. Would this also see a number of wrecks being taxed and insured purely for number plate transfer, where an MOT is currently required, then being sold on, then driven by the unwary and unknowledgeable. Being hit by an unroadworthy pre 39 car at 30 mph will probably cause more pedestrian damage than a modern deformable plastic flat fronted hatchback.