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Historic vehicle clarification needed

Does anyone understand the exact position regarding historic vehicle taxation?

By this, I'm wondering when exactly does a UK vehicle become historic? Does it refer to any vehicle first registered before 1973? Or is there a specific cut off date?

My WM20, for instance, is taxed as historic, but I'm still not sure if that's because it was first registered in 1945 rather than simply pre-1973.

Certainly, the Transport for London website suggests that pre-1973 is "historic", but I need to check if anyone has had different experiences.

Any takers on this?

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

i think any car or bike is tax free before or up to january 1973
thanks barry

email (option): mrsbfuller@hotmail.co.uk

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

Hello, Barry. Yes, I understand this. I'm just querying whether that taxation class is always "historic" or if there are any exceptions. In other words, are the terms "historic" and "tax free" always interchangeable here in the UK.

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

You can't get a "tax free" disc unless your vehicle is registered as historic. I had a trike, registered in 1980 but because it had the original Beetle fast back reg it was registered as pre '73 (first reg) and therefore STILL an historic vehicle.

email (option): stinkypete80@hotmail.com

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

you got me on that, but all i know is that any vehicle registered before 1973 is classed as "historic vehicle"

email (option): mrsbfuller@hotmail.co.uk

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

i think you will find it is to do with manufactured date ie if you can prove that it was made before jan 1973 and get an age related plate for the DVLA it will be exempt tax obviously most time the proof of age will be its registration date

email (option): roger.back@node6.com

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

Ironically, I have an early range Rover registered in March 73 I think, but as Land Rover Heritage were able to write to me that it was assembled from parts "manufactured" in December 1972 DVLA awarded it tax free status. But its not the registration date that matters, its the manufacture date.

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

Hi Danny..Vehicles must be constructed (not registered) anytime before 1st. January 1973 to be able to have historic vehicle status. With the acquisition of this status in the V5C the vehicle is automatically entered into the 'Historic Vehicle' record and then becomes eligable for a zero road fund license fee.
Whether that status is automatic when you register a pre 73 vehicle is unclear, but it seems to be.. and I doubt if anyone has actually tried to test that possibility..they just grab the free tax disc and run (or drive. )..
I would like to know if a transferable registration number can voluntarily be made non transferable..I'd like to make sure my two (currently) transferable numbers stay with the vehicles they were originally allocated to....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

Thanks to all on this. But I'd still be interested in any anomalies or contradictions in the regulations.

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

There don't seem to be any that I can find Danny...and it doesn't appear to be an over complex piece of legislation...What are the possible anomolies that would you be interested in specifically?...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

I had a 52 Norton ES2 that hadn't been changed to Historic on the log book. I could have paid for tax if I wanted to, so DVLA doesn't automatically change your registration class, you have to apply for it. I have 2 bikes that were registered in 1973. Because the rolling 25 year rules was changed when Labour got into power, it stopped at vehicles pre Jan 1973. But it is the date of manufacture that counts, so I could prove they were both manufactured in 72. I didn't have to change the reg numbers, but I had to change the taxation class to qualify for free tax. If you are registering a pre 73 bike for the first time and you want to apply for Historic vehicle class, you have to have proof of manufacture year. This can be a letter from owners club or an old invalid log book or even an old tax disc and reg plate so I've heard. But you don't have to...! If you're not bothered about age related plates and getting free tax, because you just want to get the bike on the road, you can register the bike and get a Q plate because it's not new and being re-registered. You would be mad to do this, but I'm afraid I have heard of people who can't be bothered with the rigmarole of getting a dating certificates, doing this. Then the bike is really buggered, as it's not transferable. Also insurance companies want to know why the bike is on a Q plate because as far as they are concerned they have probably already paid out on that bike..! Some Ins companies won't even touch a Q plate vehicle.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

Thanks, Horror.

Note to Ian; I'm not sure what anomalies I'm looking for. But legislation, in my experience, always throws curve balls (or is that googlies?) from time to time.

I heard once that sequential indicators on 1950s or 1960s Ford Thunderbirds, for instance, were stopped because of the regs that demands front and rear lights flash in unison. Not sure how true that one is, but that's the idea. I'm thinking of the "law of unintended consequences".

I'm also thinking of "oddball" vehicles that don't really fall into any category, or just basic screw-ups to do with the weight of a vehicle, or its release date from the military, or post-1973/pre-2002 van tractor units (as opposed to truck tractor units), or whatever.

It's just crazy that from 3rd Jan 2012 you can drive a pre-1973 1 tonne/3.5 tonne diesel van in the Low Emissions Zone without paying a charge, but a much cleaner 2001 1 tonne/3.5 tonne diesel van will cost you £100 per day, while a slightly later 2003 van will cost you nothing.

Actually, you can drive any size historic van/truck in the zone without penalty.

I'm not sure that anyone in government thought this through properly, which makes me wonder what else slipped through the net. That's all. There are bound to to issues. It's going to be a real nuisance for autojumblers and others in the bike trade struggling to stay ahead of their debts.

It's important to get to grips with this because it can help highlight daft legislation that, somewhere down the line, might affect everyone on this forum. Imagine, for instance new braking regulations or similar. Generally, legilsation in the UK isn't applied retrospectively. But with regard to the new Low Emissions Zone, that is exactly what's happening. A certain category of road user is being singled out, and completely unfairly.

It's worth monitoring.

email (option): dannydefazio@sumpmagazine.com

Re: Historic vehicle clarification needed

pre 1973 3,5 tonne vehicles are also MOT exempt but if you use you lorry for any comercial uses it isnt exempt for emission charge even if it was used that way outside the zone weeks before

email (option): roger.back@node6.com

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