Hopefully, as a classic car enthusiast, you will know that classic cars over 40 years of age, unless significantly modernized, do not require an MOT certificate here in the UK although some people still choose to put their classic vehicles through an MOT for peace of mind.
One of the reasons why an MOT is not required is that such vehicles tend to do a lot less miles than a normal family hatchback that tends to be used on a daily basis plus it is perceived that classic car owners take greater care of their cherished vehicles.
Well, a public consultation was recently undertaken by the Department of Transport (DOT). Of the 1,083 who responded to the survey, 36% felt that no change was required.
However, 41% of respondents were of the opinion that a full MOT should be carried out on classic cars or at very least, dependent upon a vehicle’s age, some type of safety checks should be carried out. 18% of those 41% of respondents were in favour of a full MOT. 10% supported the need for roadworthiness basic checks. 8% felt that age related MOT type tests were suitable. 5% felt inspections should be carried out after a classic car has had major restoration work carried out or it is being used on the road.
There has been much debate in the past about the possibility of classic cars needing to have an MOT so it will be interesting to see what action the government takes about this public consultation document.
There will possibly be some classic car owners who feel this is an additional expense he or she could do without especially in the current economic climate. However, there will no doubt be some classic car enthusiasts who support the introduction of some sort of MOT testing on their vehicles. Needless to say, we will endeavor to keep our readers updated with any developments.
