If you are the proud owner of a classic car then you are probably used to making sure it has its annual MOT check the cost of which, like most people, you could probably do without. Well, you may be interested and pleased to read that the regulations in this respect have recently been revised and it may mean that you no longer need to put your cherished vehicle through such a test.
If your classic or vintage car was built on or before the 31st December 2017 then you will not now be required to have an MOT carried out on it as long as there has been no “substantial changes” to the car during the last 30 years. Such changes would be when the engine, chassis, axles or body have been altered resulting in this affecting how the car works.
However you are still responsible for making sure that the car is roadworthy and if it is not then you could be faced with a fine of as much as £2,500 plus you could also receive 3 points on your driving license.
Presumably, one of the reasons why this decision has been made is that it is believed that the majority of classic car owners pride themselves in making sure that their vehicle is maintained to a very high standard. Therefore, it may be less likely to be involved in a road traffic accident due to some malfunction. Of course, it may be that a small number of classic car owners do not look after their vehicles but no doubt those people involved in making the decision about MOTs not being needed on most classic cars over 40 years of age have taken this into account as part of their decision making process. Do bear in mind that there have been no changes in respect of the need in the majority of cases to make sure that you have suitable classic car insurance in place.
