Car SOS presenter Fuzz Townshend has urged classic car owners to reconsider taking their vehicles for an MOT test, warning that the current testing standards may not be suitable for older vehicles.
New data reveals a significant increase in MOT failures for historic vehicles, despite being exempt from the test. Over 7,800 classic cars failed their MOT last year, with 3,000 displaying dangerous defects.
Townshend believes the stringent requirements of modern MOT tests are causing many classic cars to fail unnecessarily. “Putting a classic car through a test designed for modern vehicles is like comparing apples and oranges,” he says.
While not advocating for neglecting vehicle safety, he suggests classic car owners opt for a specialist check-up instead. “A classic car garage can provide a thorough inspection tailored to the specific needs of older vehicles,” he advises.
It’s important to remember that while exempt from MOTs, classic cars must still be roadworthy and legal. Drivers found with unsafe vehicles face fines and penalty points.
Source: Express
Rich
Totally disagree as a tester, and I do test a lot of classics too.!! The MOT is still the MINIMUM safety standard and ANY motor vehicle whatever the age, used on public roads should have to meet these annual requirements. While yes some of the modern test methods, ie shaker plates used in one man testing lanes may not be suitable for checking some classic steering & suspension setups, we should all still be able to use bars and levers and a good old pull about with a bit of lock to lock to check make sure these type of setups are safe at the time of test. Other than that, Can’t see anything else that has any real difference in the test between old and new really, and I still don’t get people afraid of the MOT and making sure their vehicle is compliant… Especially with the value of some of these old vehicles..!!
Mark
Well said.
Eric Collins
We are a classic car workshop with a couple of MoT lanes so you may say we are biased. However, I have to say I advise our customers to have the MoT carried out even if the vehicle is exempt. All owners have a duty to ensure their vehicle is safe and roadworthy and the MoT provides a relatively inexpensive way of demonstrating that they have had their classic car checked over. I agree that some testers may be unfamiliar with the standards to apply but the MoT rules accommodate different criteria depending on vehicle age.
We have also found that many insurance policies specify the requirement to have a valid MoT in order to maintain cover. The wording doesn’t allow for MoT exemption. This also applies to some breakdown policies.
Having said all that, the MoT is designed to check to a minimum standard and we would recommend a more thorough inspection to identify issues developing that could, potentially, affect safety or reliability in the future. If this is done ahead of the MoT test and anything that would be picked up on the MoT addressed, a clean MoT history can be maintained.