Classic cars of future risk being killed off by net zero

Appreciating classics like this Mercedes Benz W124 are endangered – Wirestock/iStock Editorial

Classic cars of the future are to be saved from being killed off by net zero rules, the Transport Secretary has said.

Vehicles that are more than 40 years old are designated as “historic”, meaning they are exempt from road tax and Ulez and other clean air zones. But motoring enthusiasts say cars that fall within the 20 to 40-year age bracket are ending up on the scrapheap amid a rise in clean air zones.

Cars that fall into this category include the Volkswagen Golf Mk2 and the Mercedes W124 E-Class, both from the mid-1980s.

Writing for The Telegraph, Mark Harper pledged to “safeguard classic and historic cars for future generations”.

The Department for Transport (DfT) will launch a consultation on Thursday on how to best preserve classic cars, with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) asking industry experts and enthusiasts to share their proposals with the Government.

The changes could see older cars that are not yet classified as historic, but have been refitted with an electric engine, exempt from certain charges such as Ulez.

Some motoring enthusiasts are also calling for a return to the 25-year rolling tax exemption for classic cars, which was abolished in 1997 by the Labour government and later replaced with a 40-year exemption.

Classic cars are an essential part of Britain’s heritage, bringing in £18 billion annually to the economy and counting the King among fans.

The monarch’s most famous car, a 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Volante Mk2, which was chosen in 2011 by the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as the “going away” car on their wedding day, has been converted to run on bioethanol fuel.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left Windsor Castle on their wedding day in 2018 in a silver blue Jaguar E-Type from 1968 which had been converted to electric.

Many owners are seeking to retrofit their classic cars with electric engines to be more eco-friendly, but converting can be costly and difficult and the benefits of doing so are unclear.

Rules on how classic cars are registered after being restored have not changed since the 1980s, meaning there are no clear rules around upgrading them with electric engines and they are still not officially classified as electric vehicles after being converted.

Call for evidence

Motorists will be able to tell the Department for Transport’s “call for evidence” about how to improve this system so owners are incentivised to convert older cars. It could mean that it will be easier to change models like the DMC Delorean or the Aston Martin DB5 into electric vehicles.

Mr Harper said the classic car industry “puts the UK on the map as the centre of motoring excellence”.

“It epitomises our innovative past and promises an exciting engineering future – one part ‘make do and mend’ and another part ‘adapt, innovate and thrive’.”

He added: “The way we restore and protect classic cars has not kept up with the times and evolving technologies, which is why we are calling for industry and enthusiasts to have their say on how to best protect these British classics for decades to come.

“Alongside our record £8.3 billion increase to resurface local roads and the 30-point Plan for Drivers, today’s Call for Evidence is the latest part of the Government’s plan to back drivers, support skilled jobs, and grow the economy.”

Julie Lennard, the DVLA chief executive, said: “As evolving technologies continue to improve the way classic, historic and rebuilt vehicles can be modified and restored, we want to ensure that we keep the policies and registration processes for these vehicles up to date.

“This is one of the many ways we are looking to make things easier and simpler for our customers and we want to encourage enthusiasts and those individuals and organisations with a keen interest and expertise to share their views with us.

“We’re clearing the road for the survival of the classic car.”

Your views sought on how to save our motoring classics

By Mark Harper

There’s nothing wrong with driving, it’s how most of us get from A to B and is why this Government backs drivers, no matter what you drive – from a modern hatchback to a classic Jaguar. Britain has a long association with classic cars and it’s a legacy we must uphold.

New technologies have posed challenges for restoring and upgrading classic vehicles, with industry experts and enthusiasts alike voicing their concerns about the complex processes involved in registering retrofitted and modified cars.

The more onerous it becomes to improve these motoring icons, the greater the challenge in preserving them for the future. That’s why the Government has listened and is committed to cutting red tape and making it less bureaucratic to restore motoring classics.

We’re launching a call for evidence to gather input from motorists, classic car enthusiasts, and the industry insiders who skilfully preserve our automotive heritage.

Potential changes could streamline the registration process to protect buyers and sellers, while recognising the value of these vehicles. They could also make it easier to modify classic cars, enhancing their performance, and retrofitting them with electric motors.

I’ve asked the DVLA to collect feedback on how to safeguard classic and historic cars for future generations, helping to support an industry which contributes billions to our economy, sustains tens of thousands of skilled jobs and puts the UK on the map as a centre of motoring excellence.

This isn’t all we’re doing to back drivers, though. Thanks to reallocated HS2 funding, we are investing an extra £8.3bn into the biggest ever funding boost for local road improvements and investing in road projects across the country. We’re also delivering our 30-point Plan for Drivers to ensure rogue councils don’t carpet communities with unwanted Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and blanket 20mph zones where they’re not needed, while also consulting on measures to prevent councils from profiting by treating drivers as “cash cows”.

I want see more classic cars stay on our roads and make it easier for the skilled workforce across the country who restore them for future generations, with the call for evidence launched today part of the Government’s plan to back drivers, support skilled jobs, and grow the economy.

Mark Harper is the Transport Secretary

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