Transport Secretary Mark Harper has called for classic car owners to make their voices heard amid strong calls for major car tax changes to help the industry.
As part of plans to improve the vintage car industry, the Government has launched a call to action to look whether changes need to be made to policies relating to the £18billion sector.
Two questions deal with what drivers and key players in the industry consider to be a classic car and whether there should be a separate process for these kinds of vehicles.
This follows calls from experts and motorists to allow for law changes which would allow comparatively younger vehicles to benefit from tax rules.
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Classic car owners have called on the Government to lower the designated age of a historic vehicle
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Once a vehicle has been registered for more than 40 years, it can be considered a classic, with drivers benefitting from the historic vehicle tax exemption.
This means drivers do not need to pay Vehicle Excise Duty on the car, if it was registered before April 1, 1984. However, it must still be taxed.
With improving technology for vehicles, there is a far greater chance that traditional vintage cars and modern classics will stay on the road for longer.
Speaking to GB News, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said drivers needed to make their feelings heard if they want the Government to implement changes to benefit the industry, especially on issues with taxation.
He said: “One of the things that we said we want people to respond to in this call for evidence is about the whole registration of classic cars.
“So, if people have views about where that cut-off point should be and what should count as a classic car and what shouldn't, they should absolutely feed that back.
“I want to hear from GB News viewers. I want to hear from people who are enthusiasts. I want to hear from people that work in the industry. I want people involved in classic car clubs.
“I want as many people as possible to respond to the call for evidence so that when we set out the changes to the rules that we're going to set out, we have listened to as many views as possible and that we get it as right as we can.”
A recently launched petition called on the Government to look into changing the age limit at which vehicles are considered classic, from the current rate of 40, down to 20.
Claire Knight, the creator of the petition, argued that more people would be able to get involved in the industry and prevent them from spending large amounts of money on tax for a vehicle they do not drive as often.
The Department for Transport responded to the petition in April, saying that there were no plans for the tax exemption age to change, although rules are always under review.
It outlined how the 40-year designation is a "fair cut-off date" to distinguish classic cars from older vehicles.
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Mark Harper attending Bicester Heritage and meeting classic car enthusiasts
DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT
The petition will conclude in late July, with the possibility that the topic could be heard in Parliament if the petition reaches 100,000 signatures.
The call for evidence states that drivers who make significant changes to the vehicle, including the chassis or monocoque bodyshell, may lose the original registration number supporting its historical provenance.
There are an estimated 1.1 million vehicles in the historic vehicles tax, with around 600,000 of these currently licensed to be on the road.
