NEWS, V8 Register - MG Car Club, MG owners, MG owner, support and services for all MG V8 enthusiasts and owners, MGBGTV8 and MGB GT V8 for sale, Costello MGBV8 for sale, MG RV8 for sale, MG RV8 buying guide, MGBGTV8 and MGB GT V8 buying guide, MGV8 price guide, MG SV, MG X80, MG ZT260V8, MG owners, MG enthusiasts

Call for classic car tax cut

News of the progress of a petition launched in February 2024 which is a feature item in today's issue of Classic Car Weekly.
Posted: 240306

Comment on this petition in our earlier NEWS item
Whilst "modern classics" are increasingly popular and affordable with younger classic car enthusiasts, a car only 20 or 25 years old can often still be a viable daily-use car. A similar petition in 2021 called for an extension of the current rolling 40 year VED exemption to cars that are 30 years old - that would have been welcomed by RV8 owners. That petition received over 14,000 supporters signing up but the Government said it had no plans to make any changes. It seems unlikely the Government will accept the new proposed VED exemption changes proposed by the new petition.
See earlier NEWS item
NEWS Item originally posted on 240224

See the petition

Another petition for a reduction in road tax on vehicles between 20 and 40 years old has been launched by the owner of a "20 year old modern classic which is seldom driven more than a 1,000 miles a year".

Support for the proposed road tax cut for modern classics (20 to 40 years old)
Support comes from the petitioner and the Historic & Classic Vehicle Alliance (HCVA):

Petitioner Claire Knight says "there are vehicles in the 20 to 40 year age bracket that are well loved modern classics and without a reduction in road tax, we may see these vehicles disappear from our roads". She mentions her classic seldom does more than a 1,000 miles a year and even SORNing the car for 6 months a year she will still be paying £180 a year for six months.

HCVA says it "has long lobbied for more proportionate levels of vehicle tax for younger classics. If the Government continues to ignore enthusiast' calls, many well known classic cars from the 1990s and 2000s will simply not exist in the future because they have been priced off the roads".

Caution over the proposed road tax cut for modern classics (20 to 40 years old)
Caution comes from the British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC):

The FBHVC urged caution "as to whether the proposed tax cut would genuinely help the historic vehicle community. Their spokesman said we support initiatives that keep historic vehicles on our roads but it remains to be seen whether a reduction in road tax will be enough to create a surge of interest in the classic car world or whether it will just keep tired and old cars on the road for longer for non-enthusiasts looking for cheaper daily transport". We have seen that in new low emission zones like the ULEZ in Outwer London.
Sir Greg Knight (chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group) indicated there was a case for keeping VED under review however creating a new VED class for 20 to 40 year old vehicles on the basis they are "nearly historic" is unlikely to ever happen.