Debate rages on over classic car MOT exemption

Experts and enthusiasts weigh in on the need for annual safety checks for historic vehicles

Debate rages on over classic car MOT exemption

The debate over whether classic cars should undergo annual MOT tests has resurfaced, with calls for an end to the current exemption. While historic vehicles over 40 years old are currently exempt, some argue that annual safety checks are essential to ensure roadworthiness.

Derek Matthewson, host of the TV series “Bangers and Cash,” believes that while the exemption was initially reasonable, older cars still require regular safety checks. He advocates for a basic MOT-style inspection focusing on brakes, lights, steering, and suspension.

Data from the DVSA supports this argument. In 2023, 48,848 classic car owners voluntarily tested their vehicles. Of those, 7,831 failed and 3,018 had at least one “dangerous” defect.

Derek’s son, Paul, also supports the idea of annual safety checks, pointing out that all vehicles on the road should undergo some form of inspection. He acknowledges that major restoration or repair work might warrant a more in-depth check but believes a basic safety inspection is necessary for all classic cars.

While the current rolling exemption is satisfactory for many classic car owners, there is a growing consensus that annual safety checks would provide an extra layer of assurance regarding the roadworthiness of these vehicles.

Source: The Express

4 Comments

  1. why not just mot it all the money they spend on the car £40 is nothing

    Reply
  2. I completely agree, I have several classics and I am a tester, I still have mine tested and some of the classics that have come in for work are in very bad shape. Then there’s the win a classic on a raffle and drive it straight away scenario, the car that was won had a lot of major rust. Its just wrong to assume classic car owners will look after the car. A lot of younger people are buying these cars just so they don’t have to mot them.

    Reply
  3. It is a ticking time bomb. When there is a fatality involving an exempt car and no proof of servicing/MOT or roadworthiness checks available, someone may be going to prison for manslaughter. I’m amazed that insurance companies do not insist on it.

    Reply
  4. I think a basic annual check should be mandatory but with exemptions such as emissions and rolling road failures due to overall efficiency but perhaps keep elements in the test that any vehicle in a roadworthy condition (age appropriate ) should pass. Also this would stop the current disconnect when a twenty five year old tester gets presented with a forty five year old vehicle and has little or no understanding of what they are dealing with.

    Reply

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