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MoTs for historic vehicles scrapped!

The Department for Transport has just announced that MoT tests for pre-1960 cars are to be scrapped.

The decision follows a campaign by the All Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group, led by East Yorkshire MP Greg Knight, its chairman. Mr Knight has argued for a relaxation of the unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle the current MoT test presents to many owners of historic vehicles.

Welcoming the announcement Mr Knight said: “I am delighted by this announcement. Accidents involving historic vehicles are extremely rare and the majority of owners are meticulous in keeping their vehicles in good condition. Having to have an annual MoT test for a vehicle which may only travel a few hundred miles in a year was costly and absurd.”

Transport Minister Mike Penning said: “Historic vehicles are treasured by their owners who want to ensure they are well maintained, and in most cases they use them irregularly.”

Mr Knight added: “The modern MoT test has increasingly become irrelevant to historic vehicles which do not have ABS brakes and catalytic converters. Some do not even have brakes on each wheel! Today’s announcement is great news for historic vehicle enthusiasts.”

Owners of vehicles which are exempted from the MoT test will still be legally required to ensure that their cars are safe, roadworthy and in a proper condition to be on the road.

Mr Knight dismissed the concerns of critics who claim that the annual MoT test was a regular ‘safety check’ for older vehicles and should not have been scrapped. He said: “Those owners lacking mechanical knowledge will still be able to submit their classic car for an MoT test. However, I am sure that many garages will also be prepared to offer a short ‘classic car safety check’ by looking at the essential items such as steering, chassis and brakes at a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the cost of the current MoT.

“This red-tape cutting decision is a victory for common sense.”