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There's a certain Yellow 1159cc Firenza which has 'all it welding done for MOT' that could also be on the road soon.....

Just to add a bit of further clarity -

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mot- ... 0-may-2018

It's a simple process for substantially unmodified cars:

If it was registered more than forty years ago, is currently insured, either currently taxed, untaxed or SORN - irrespective of whether or not it has a current MOT - you can 'tax' it as a VHI (tax exempt) online and at the same time declare it MOT exempt by ticking a box declaring it 'not substantially modified'.

1972nail wrote:Mine is due in June and is booked in on Thursday morning. The 40 year old exemption does not apply to Northern Ireland registered cars.

Unfairly discriminatory against Northern Ireland! I cannot think of a good reason why this should be - unless explicit agreement (or a whole new legislative process) is required by the Northern Ireland Assembly?

So as I read the DVSA document if your vehicle was registered before 31st May 1978 it becomes MoT exempt after 31st May 1018 contrary to the TAX exempt rule - which I cannot see has changed - a vehicle has to be manufactured/registered prior to 1st Jan 2018 to become TAX exempt.

Colin wrote:

1972nail wrote:Mine is due in June and is booked in on Thursday morning. The 40 year old exemption does not apply to Northern Ireland registered cars.

Unfairly discriminatory against Northern Ireland! I cannot think of a good reason why this should be - unless explicit agreement (or a whole new legislative process) is required by the Northern Ireland Assembly?

Apparently, all the other MOT related legislation was enacted last week in line with the rest of the UK by Civil Servants in the absence of the NI Assembly, with alterations to suit the NI MOT system. However, the 40 year exemption was left for 'further consultation within the NI context' and may be enacted at a later date .... whenever that will be.

I decided to ask my insurance company a general question about MOT for 40 year old plus classics. this is the reply


Thank you for contacting us.

We can confirm that vehicle's are exempt from the MOT requirement if they were built or registered over 40 years ago. Please note that if any major changes have been made to either the chassis, engine or body work - the vehicle would be required to have an MOT.

In my book my insurance company would regard any engine transplant or body kit, would mean an Mot is required for them to pay out on a claim.

There has been a lot of chat on Facebook Droopsnoot group. Which lead me to clarify their position at DVSA

The confusion of what you nee to do to go MoT exempt is starting to become cleared - the answer is nothing!!
I clarified with DVSA this morning that their default position on verhicles 40yrs old and older is THEY DONT NEED AN MOT! So if you want to tax your car and your MoT has run out then you can. This would appear to apply to modified cars which are still on a year related registration. If you want an MoT you can as the MOT station to MOT it and put the results on the system. If it fails you need to fix it prior to it becoming legal to drive within the rules of the failure category. You can ask for an informal check against the MoT check list which is what I have done with Alfie. I have taxed 2 cars after the MoT had expired and both were confirmed as taxed for a year without doing anything else that follow the DVLA on line tax process as I have always done - no boxes to tick for applying for MoT exempt - just the standard process we used before the May rule change.

Don't ask me about 1978 vehicles which are not quite Tax exempt but could be MoT exempt? That would seem to be another bag of worms. Need someone with an expires MoT on a 1978 car to try and Tax it and see what happens

Thanks Fred I was wondering about this as my mot runs out soon.
Also wanted to mention this, a friend driving his imp on the way back from a show got pulled over by Thames valley police as mot expired a few weeks ago and showing on the anpr system as expired. Once explained as it doesn't need one they started checking the whole car over looking for any little thing. Nothing was said a part from a split wiper blade. Seems some systems are not updated or even the police on this occasion.

Here in Northern Ireland still only pre 1960 cars are exempt as our non-sitting Local Assembly have not passed the 40 year exemption into law. What confounds all this is that the DVLA in Swansea don't differentiate between cars who's registered keepers have addresses here in N I and those who don't and therefore I can tax my car without an MOT but be prosecuted for not having one. It also appears that those who visit here from the rest of the UK in 40 year old MOT exempt cars must have a valid MOT to drive legally on N I roads.

Wow David the bit about visiting Classics is a bit worrying - need to put a note on the members only site "Message from your Committee"- too late for the Autumn Magazine