Lancia Motor Club

I see that there is 40 year exemption from May 2018

Hi Richard

I was reading a thread on Retro-rides and the discussion highlighted that if the car was in any way modified (after 1988 I think) then the car still needed to be MOT'd each year.

I for one (like many I believe) think that having to have a MOT is a good thing. The cost round us is £35, so half a tank of petrol for someone impartial to appraise your car is money well spent in my opinion, especially with the abundance of MOT only places nowadays who have no interest in looking for 'extra' work.

Peter

I wouldn't be worried about no mot's , in Ireland any car made before 1980 is exempt . This is about to change in the next couple of years , cars registered after 1980 will be tested until they are 40 yrs old . The pre 1980 cars will remain exempt . The testing system in Ireland is very strict using the German DECRA system . You drop your car to a very large testing centre anonymously , it's then put through a sequence of tests and you watch through a window as your pride and joy is abused by someone who has no passion whatsoever for classic cars and then fails it because he can't open the boot ! This happened with my thema as the guy didn't think of using the key 🙄. Most classic cars are very well cared for including my cars . I wouldn't mind a safety check , but not a full aggressive test designed for a modern car . When the data was checked with the insurance company's , claims for accidents involving classic cars due to mechanical failure didn't even make up a point of a percent . 😄

Hi Dave

Fortunately your experience is not reflected here for me in the UK. The place I go has three bays and the guys are more than helpful. My Saab has hand controls as well as foot ones and they were really interested when I first took it in as it was the first one they had seen with them. For me more than happy to let them look at any car I have.

Peter

Does anyone here know if insurance is affected by the abscence of an MOT pass of an exempt vehicle?

My insurer AXA, said there will be no extra charge on the insurance without a test . When there was a proposal made by the government to change the system they sent out a public consultation . This was the largest response the government had to any consultation in the history of the state .I attended meetings with the Irish vintage and veteran club , which was also attended by a representative from AXA insurance , before the paper was published . We were allowed to put our ideas forward  which seem to have been heard .  :)

One other detail . The company that run the national car test don't want to invest in any machinery or change the way the test is carried out for older cars . This would mean training of staff for this purpose . They are normally overrun with the demand , so adding classics to the list would make the job harder .