Morris Minor Owners Club

Thought I would get an MOT on my 1960 Morris. Garage said I might not want to do that with a historic exempt car as once one gets a registered MOT for an exempt car thereafter one will need to get one every year, like a younger car. It was suggested that I get a "pre MOT check", documented like an MOT(no emissions testing) to get around this. This document is not recorded with the Government.
I have never heard this before, is it true ???

That just sounds completely wrong......if it is MOT exempt then it doesn't need an MOT, that is the point. Get an MOT for piece of mind if you wish but you don't then have to keep doing it annually.

That sounds like nonsense to me too. My Minors are MOT exempt but I have sometimes taken one for a full test and sometimes not. It has never been a problem. I have been able to tax them whether MOT'd or not

It seems to me that the garage is getting mixed up as regards the MOT for historic vehicles.
My understanding is that you declare the vehicle as over 40 years so qualifying for historic status, you also declare that the vehicle does not require a MOT.
For a 40year old plus vehicle you do not pay road tax but you have to apply every year.
When you apply for subsequent road tax you have to declare/or show that the vehicle is exempt from MOT requirements (form V112) which can be done on line.
Follow the links within the link below for more details:
https://www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles

..and

Department for Transport
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 4DR
Tel: 0300 330 3000

Web Site: www.gov.uk/dft

Our Ref: MC/232005

11 January 2019





Mr Bob Owen
Director - Legislation
Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs






Dear Mr Owen,

RE: Vehicle Of Historic Interest MOT Exemption


The following is a statement of the effect of recent legal changes to requirements for MOT testing of vehicles at least 40 years old.

On 20 May 2018 the Motor Vehicle (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 came into force. Regulation 7 sets out that any car, van (under 3.5t) or motorcycle which is being used on a public road is to be considered a vehicle of historic interest and therefore no longer required to hold a valid MOT certificate if it:

a) was manufactured or registered for the first time at least 40 years previously
b) is of a type no longer in production, and
c) has been historically preserved or maintained in its original state and has not undergone substantial changes in the technical characteristic of its main components.

This amended the previous exemption from MOT testing for cars, light vans or motorcycles manufactured in 1960 or before. The arrangements for the testing of old larger vehicles are different.

Please find enclosed a copy of this Statutory Instrument and a copy of the Explanatory Memorandum should you wish to refer to these.

There is no requirement, either intended or implied, that at the point a vehicle becomes 40 years old and providing the vehicle has not been substantially changed, for the owner to make a declaration to any statutory body, declaring that the vehicle is a vehicle of historic interest and is therefore no longer required to have a valid MOT certificate.

The Department and DVLA have set up an administrative process (via DVLA form V112 and the equivalent process on-line) which requires at the time of the annual re-licensing of vehicles a declaration that the vehicle is a vehicle of historic interest – in that it has not been substantial modified. This process is in place to help owners of old vehicles that have been substantially modified do not by mistake run them without a valid MOT. The Department has published information about what constitutes a substantial modification in this context and encourages owners who do not know to seek advice.

Yours sincerely,

Duncan Price
Divisional Manager, Freight, Operator Licensing and Roadworthiness




John ;-)

The Pre-mot check is a good idea for newer cars like my TR7V8 which always struggled with the idle emissions but the minor was always emission exempt anyway (except for visibly excess smoke in which case it probably should be fixed anyway) so it doesn't make any difference.

There is one key point though for a MOT the system insists the tester stays logged in for about 40 minutes and can't do any other work, to perform a basic safety or MOT test on a Minor only takes 20 minutes so if it's the same price it's more profitable for the testing station.

By de-fault any vehicle over 40 years of age that requires to be taxed to allow it on the public road (even though no money changes hands) has to declare that the vehicle is of historic interest via the form V112 or on line.
Which ever way you look at it the historic vehicle is registered/recorded as historic every time the vehicle is taxed.
The plus side is no more MOT costs.