What is a 'heritage certificate'?

Post by **don58van** » Mon May 18, 2009 11:54 pm

All

First, please note that I am in Australia.

I have a '68 Austin Minor Van, built in the UK.

I have seen references to 'heritage certificates' in these postings. Apparently, they are available from Gaydon (is that a location of an office?).

I am wondering what information is contained in these certificates and whether I would be able to get one for my van.

I gather the certificates are expensive. Are there different levels of certifications at different prices?

Also, would the DVLA have info on my van if it was licensed in the UK before coming here? If so how would I go about getting the info from them?

Cheers for any help.

Post by **PSL184** » Mon May 18, 2009 11:59 pm

Details about Heitage Certs here.... http://archive.heritage-motor-centre.co ... cates.html

Post by **mike.perry** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:37 am

A Heritage Certificate<br>

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Post by **d_harris** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:50 am

So we know your key number now then......

Post by **pfgiz** » Tue May 19, 2009 5:58 am

Dan_Harris wrote:So we know your key number now then......

Surely by now the key number is '4mm flat blade' unless the locks have been changed??

Post by **don58van** » Tue May 19, 2009 9:54 am

Thank you Mike and PSL184

With your help, I have now gone to the site and applied for a certificate. I hope it can confirm that my van is a genuine Austin Minor, in which case it will probably be only one in Oz.

The second question in my original posting above concerned whether the DVLA might have information on my van if it had been licensed in the UK before coming here. How would I go about making an enquiry with them?

Cheers

Don

Post by **mike.perry** » Tue May 19, 2009 11:08 am

So we know your key number now then......

I have changed the locks!!!! Anyway who needs a key to get into a Minor?
Don, Do you have the British registration number for you car? If so I can run it through the DVLA website.

Post by **don58van** » Tue May 19, 2009 11:47 am

Hi Mike

Thanks for the offer, but it didn't have British plates and I know very little of the van's history.

It did come with number plates, but they were from the Australian Capital Territory here in Australia. I have been trying to use that info to trace the history, but no luck yet. I even wrote a story about it for the ACT Morris Minor Club's newsletter (I am a member, even though I am 2 1/2 hours drive from there).

I bought it in Melbourne, about 5 1/2 hours drive from here (here being Wagga Wagga). Apparently, it sat in garages in Melbourne for about 20 years, waiting to be restored.

Getting back to your search of the records, can you search on chassis number or engine number?

Cheers
Don

Post by **Matt** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:18 pm

DVLA should be able to get some history based on the chassis number? Assuming it was put into the computer correctly

Post by **LouiseM** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:47 pm

Have you been in touch with Russell Harvey (RussLCV)? He is the LCV Register historian so might be able to help.

Post by **don58van** » Tue May 19, 2009 1:03 pm

Matt and Mike

I have rummaged around in the DVLA and DirectGov sites. As far as I can see, details of a vehicle can only be obtained through these sites if the UK registration number is known (which in the case of my van, it isn't).

Does anyone know whether, if I write to the DVLA with the chassis number, they will look up their database for me? If so, would I have to pay?

Louise
Russ and I have had lots of communications. He has been very helpful. He put a letter from me in Minor Monthly with the hope of getting a lead, but to no avail. He says that he is not aware of any other genuine Austin Minor LCVs in Australia. I don't know whether he is in any better position to trace its UK history than I am.

Cheers
Don

Post by **LouiseM** » Tue May 19, 2009 1:34 pm

I think you'll find that without the registration number the DVLA will not be able to trace the history of your car. By way of comparison, if the Police need to identify a vehicle with 'false' number plates purely from it's chassis number - eg a 'ringer' - they have to contact the manufacturer direct, not DVLC.

Post by **Matt** » Tue May 19, 2009 1:35 pm

Don -

You would do best to write to them to ask what needs to be done, or even email them to start with and ask the procedure. They will want a small fee (I think its around £10) to look up what they have got for you

Post by **MarkyB** » Tue May 19, 2009 6:42 pm

The heritage certificate has the original registration number.Why not use that?
No idea how much effort the DVLA might put into the search for paper records but your chances must be better with the reg number than the chassis number.

Post by **LouiseM** » Tue May 19, 2009 7:01 pm

The heritage certificate only has the registration number on if you supply this to the Heritage Centre as registration numbers are allocated by the dealer on arrival at the garage, not when the car leaves the factory.

Post by **FrankM83** » Tue May 19, 2009 7:57 pm

Hi don if your van is form 58 they probably still have the records for it if built in the UK, unfortuntly documents for late vans were destroyed in some fire! they can trace history with just the chassis no but any other nos would help , my van was in the UK for 7 whole years but I beleive you can't trace the plates it had in the UK from DVLA or anywhere

Post by **don58van** » Tue May 19, 2009 11:23 pm

All

OK. I will try a written communication to the DVLA to see what they can do.

Frank -- The van I am trying to trace is a '68 Austin, so it might be affected by the destruction of records in the factory fire.

Just a point of clarification--my tag on this forum and elsewhere is don58van because my first van is an Australian-built '58 Morris. As often happens with these little vehicles, another one--the Austin--followed me home one day and I decided to keep it

Cheers
Don

Post by **FrankM83** » Tue May 19, 2009 11:38 pm

if it's a 68 then the records are probably gone but have a try and write the the heritage centre and check