News

Petition seeks to give younger cars classic tax status

A petition to consider lowering the age at which a car is given classic status has already attracted several thousand signatures

Stephen Hearse-Morgan, who created the petition, wants to see the VED road tax exemption age for classic cars reduced to 30 years. 

At present, UK legislation treats cars as qualifying for a historic tax and MOT exemption when they are more than 40 years old.

Age concern

Mr Hearse-Morgan’s motivation for lowering the tax exemption age is to encourage younger motoring enthusiasts into classic car ownership. 

The 2020 National Historic Vehicle Survey, undertaken by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBVHC), found that the average age of a classic car owner is 63 years old. 

When the survey was previously performed in 2016, the average age was 61 years. It would seem Mr Hearse-Morgan has a point.

‘Old Timers’ at the ready

Lowering the tax exemption age to 30 years would see a wealth of cars from the 1980s and early 1990s gain historic status. This fits with the growing interest in the era, inspired by events like the RADwood series of car shows. 

The benchmark of 30 years is also an international one to define the status of a car as historic. In Germany, a car becomes eligible for classic status 30 years after first registration. 

German Federal Ministry of Transport rules allow ‘Old Timer’ cars to have special number plates fitted. This brings reduced road tax, and the ability to enter low emission zones.

Economies of scale

According to the FBVHC, there are more than 775,000 cars in the UK that would be classed as historic under a 30-year definition. Giving more cars tax exempt status would have an obvious effect on VED vehicle tax income earned by the government.

However, the FBVHC found that the classic car sector contributes more than £7 billion to the UK economy each year. 

The petition will remain live on the UK Parliament website until 31 October 2021. Should it reach 10,000 signatures, the government will need to respond. Hitting 100,000 signatures will see it considered for debate in Parliament.

A similar petition in 2012, seeking to return to the previous 25-year rolling tax exempt status, gained almost 4,200 signatures.

ALSO READ

Popular cars disappearing from our roads

The story of the classic Porsche 911

The best classic cars for investment and driving fun

John Redfern

View Comments

Share
Published by
John Redfern
Tags: Classics

Recent Posts

Ultra-rare MG XPower SV-R supercar is up for sale

One of only 42 examples built, this V8-engined MG XPower SV-R is a true piece…

3 days ago

Rover Mini Cooper Sport review: Retro Road Test

We get a nostalgic reminder of the back-to-basics brilliance of the classic Mini, driven here…

1 week ago

Race and rally Ford icons head to auction this month

The Iconic Auctioneers NEC Classic sale features an array of legendary Ford performance cars, including…

3 weeks ago

Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS replica review: Retro Road Test

This 'backdated' Porsche 911 imitates the legendary Carrera 2.7 RS for a fraction of the…

3 weeks ago

1966 Fiat 500 review: Retro Road Test

The iconic Fiat 500 got Italy moving after the Second World War and inspired today's…

1 month ago

Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4 review: Retro Road Test

The Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4 is as bonkers as its name suggests. We recall…

1 month ago

This website uses cookies.