Classic car owners are said to welcome MOT tests for older vehicles, despite their engines currently being exempt from the annual roadworthiness test, which costs up to £55 before any repair costs are taken into account.
Under current rules, once a car reaches 40 years from its registration date, it automatically qualifies for ‘historic vehicle’ status, which brings with it a host of financial benefits.
These vehicles are exempt from clean air zone charges, including London’s ULEZ of £12.50 per day. From the following year, owners no longer have to pay vehicle excise duty, better known as car tax.
Reaching the 40-year milestone also exempts a vehicle from MOT tests, meaning it no longer has to prove its roadworthiness to remain legally on the road.
However, a recent survey of 1,200 classic car owners found that almost two-thirds (64 percent) would be willing to pay for an MOT to prove their vehicle is safe to drive.
The research findings, shared exclusively with the Daily Mail and This is Money, come as the Government faces calls to increase the maximum cost of an MOT to £95 in a bid to support struggling garages.
Cars over 40 years old are exempt from the MOT test, but a survey of 1,200 classic owners found that most want their car to be inspected annually to prove it is safe to drive
Historic vehicles do not require an MOT because ministers regard them as cherished possessions that owners hold at a high level because of their financial and sentimental value.
But with models like the Citroen AX, Jaguar XJ40 and Rover 800 are eligible for historic vehicle status as of this year, not all older cars are valuable collectibles.
Many surviving examples of modern-classic cars are relatively inexpensive to purchase. And because there is no legal requirement to undergo a roadworthiness test, there could be thousands of vehicles on UK roads with potentially serious defects.
The most recent data available shows that approximately one in five classic vehicles could not pass the MOT.
Between January 2019 and June 2021, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency carried out voluntary MOT tests on 121,204 vehicles over 40 years old, despite there being no legal requirement for them to pass an inspection.
The results showed an average failure rate of 18.4 percent.
Classic car owners surveyed by insurer Hagerty UK said they would support an annual inspection, although most believed any test for vehicles over 40 years old should differ from that for modern cars.
‘A more sympathetic approach to testing older cars would help keep unroadworthy cars off the road,’ says one respondent who owns a modern classic Citroen.
‘A proportionate and appropriate testing regime would not be unwelcome. “If there is a broader concern among the non-classic car community that our vehicles are unsafe, and that concern could be addressed by such a move, then this could be helpful,” replied another collector of classic cars and motorcycles.
“I don’t want unsafe classic cars on the road, but I also don’t think they should be tested as if they were modern vehicles,” said an Audi owner.
Of those surveyed, 43 percent said they still choose to have their car undergo an annual MOT despite there being no legal requirement to do so, while many believe the current inspection process is not ideally suited to older vehicles.
The poll also found that 43 percent would pay more for a classic car with a valid MOT certificate, while 47 percent believe mandatory inspections would help preserve historic vehicles for future generations.
“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t have an MOT inspection done for classic cars,” says an enthusiast who owns a Triumph TR3 and a Citroen 2CV.
“I don’t think any vehicle should be exempt from any form of inspection,” added the owner of an original Ford Capri.
Mark Roper, managing director of Hagerty UK, said the survey results show that many classic vehicle owners are concerned about the current MOT exemption.
‘It is clear that many owners would welcome a classic car specific MOT test, one that demonstrates the technical condition through checks that are more appropriate to the age of the vehicle.
‘Most agree that there should be some form of annual inspection, ideally carried out by a classic car specialist, especially as many popular models are now exempt from any form of annual testing and can be driven regardless of their condition.’
The classic car industry also appears to be in favor of some form of inspection while maintaining the current exemption system.
“We support regular safety and technical checks for historic vehicles that are exempt from the statutory MOT, especially when a vehicle is returned to the road after a period of storage, after restoration or after significant mechanical work,” says Dale Keller, CEO of the Historic & Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA).
‘There is a clear reason for the current exemption, not least because historic vehicles often require specialist knowledge to properly assess.
‘However, we believe there is a good case for developing an optional, industry-led roadworthiness test specifically for historic vehicles without an MOT.’
Britain’s Independent Garage Association has called on ministers to double the price cap on MOT tests to help businesses face ‘unsustainable’ running costs
Join the discussion
Should all cars, no matter how old or cherished, have to pass a technical inspection to stay on the road?
Can the costs of an MOT increase?
Last month, the trade association of independent garages called for the maximum costs of a car MOT increase from €54.85 to €95arguing that the current fee has become “unsustainable” amid rising operating costs.
The MOT price ceiling has remained unchanged since 2010.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) says the current maximum rate of £54.85 ‘needs to increase significantly’.
However, the proposed increase of 73 percent is above the percentage inflation.
According to calculations based on inflation data from the Bank of England, the equivalent inflation-adjusted compensation would be £87.31.
Stuart James, chief executive of the IGA, said: ‘We are hearing from garage owners that without a significant increase in the MOT fee they will not be able to continue to meet this ever-increasing cost burden.’
The association states that rising costs for labour, rental, equipment, fuel, energy, compliance, administration and staff training mean that the cost of carrying out an MOT now exceeds the revenue generated under the current cap.
“Inflation alone makes the current MOT fee unsustainable,” the IGA says.
The organization has secured talks with the government over the price cap, following last year’s announcement that a review would be launched.
On October 21, the IGA and other industry bodies will meet with the Ministry of Transport to discuss a possible increase in the MOT fare cap.
