Raod tax

[Phil W]

A few years ago the British government announced they were making concessions for classic cars built prior to February 2003. At the time it was assumed that this would be a rolling concession and I waited eagerly for my own car to reach the magic age!

They changed the rules and even though my car was first registered in 1974 it was built in, wait for it, November 1973. Damn! Missed by a few months!!!

I've been out of contact with the Classic Car scene fo awhile but would be interested to hear if anyone has any news on whether there is likely to be a review of current policy.

[Jason1]

Here you go Phil they are still debating it.


http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/historiccartax/

This is a petition at 10 Downing Street to get the date onto a rolling 25 years. If you have not signed it why not? We pay enough taxes and this will not cost Classic car owners anything.

Come on guys sign it now you have till the end of May to have your say

[Robbie693]

I think they changed their minds when they found out how much revenue would be lost.

I'm curious to know if, should it be introduced, pre '73 cars will be exempt from road pricing also...

Somehow I think not

[Phil W]

Here you go Phil they are still debating it.


http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/historiccartax/

This is a petition at 10 Downing Street to get the date onto a rolling 25 years. If you have not signed it why not? We pay enough taxes and this will not cost Classic car owners anything.

Come on guys sign it now you have till the end of May to have your say

Thanks Jason.
Just signed. As someone who has to use a 4 x 4 for work and who taxes my wifes, sons and daughters cars I pay enough road tax revenue with out being fleeced on a 33 year old classic doing less than 3000 miles / year.

[chrishewett]

I have just heard some more disturbing news. Our wonderful government are floating the idea that classic cars will only be able to be used on the road for 50 days in the year and these days will have to be pre-booked.
Classic cars , as you will be aware, are contributing to global warming because of their ancient technology and must be curbed to save the world.
Never mind that China is building 8 coalfired power stations per week and India is building 5 per week.
By the way road pricing hasn't gone away. The government are waiting until after the may local elections are out of the way before proceeding. Wouldn't want to lose any votes would they.
Sorry to be depressing.
Chris

[berni29]

Hi

That does not sound good and is faulty thinking, esp since if you take into account the length of time that the average Lotus Elan has been in use vs the total energy used to create a Toyota Prius! It makes the Elan one of the most environmentaly friendly cars on the road!

They can kiss my tuckus.

Berni

[sulzeruk]

The government stopped the cut off date due to them thinking that more post 1973 cars were being used on the road. Before 1973, there is considerably less left of most marques, after 1973 their research found an increase in vehicles still registered so they saw the ? sign again!
That is why they don't want to change as they would do themselves out of money!
Al Cowan

[Elanintheforest]

Chris...the system in Australia (if I remember correctly!) is that you can elect to register an 'old' car as a normal car or as a classic. If normal, you pay the same as a normal car and use it when you like. If classic, you don't pay road fund, but you can only use the car for going from home to 'events', or to the garage etc. This is pretty loosely interpreted by both owners and police, and basically, if you don't use the car for the commute, there isn't a problem. So there's a fair bit of give and take in the system. I also seem to remember that some very early cars, which can't keep up with modern traffic, can only be registered as Classics...or oldtimers or whatever they call them.

So if the UK Gov adopted a similar scheme, Brian Buckland and a couple of others would register their cars as normal, and most of the rest of us would, I suspect, register as Classics.

I think (and hope) that this anti-car phase will pass once the real contribution of cars to global warming has been put into the perspective of the power stations, aircraft, ships and industry. Hopefully the Chelsea tractors will be driven off the road as well, so that those of us who use a 4x4 for its intended purpose can carry on doing so unhindered.

I wonder if they'd allow my Heinkel bubble car to be used as an everyday car??! 90mpg, but only 45mph...a one bubble mobile congestion zone.
Mark

[Phil W]

I think (and hope) that this anti-car phase will pass once the real contribution of cars to global warming has been put into the perspective of the power stations, aircraft, ships and industry. Hopefully the Chelsea tractors will be driven off the road as well, so that those of us who use a 4x4 for its intended purpose can carry on doing so unhindered.

Mark

Hear, hear Mark.
As someoe who uses a Discovery as part of my work on landfill sites I point out to the few people that make negative comments that:
1. You stop throwing rubbish out and I'll not need a 4 x 4.
2. Most Landrovers / classic cars have lower carbon footprints than 'eco friendly' cars as they are infinitely repairable and recyclable. Added to that the environmental impact of producing the batteries required to run hybrid cars is devastating.

I heard somewhere that 70% of all Landrovers ever built are still running.

Anyone know that figure for the Elan?

[Jason1]

[chrishewett]

Mark,
I can see how the classic car status could be loosley interpreted, especially in a rural area like I live in. However I think this government are one step ahead of us. There won't be any loose interpretation when we all have our road pricing electronics fitted. Just as in London with the congestion charge, once they have the infrastructure set up they will squeeze us until the pips squeak.
The only answer is mass disobedience of the law but unfortunately it takes a Kaiser or a Hitler to raise the British people to do something, and Bliar has such a nice smile!
Chris

[elansprint71]

Mass disobedience of the law? It's already here. Just hope that your children are not killed/injured by an uninsured driver, like one of my colleagues kids was. She was such a nice little girl.
Great idea.

btw, you should read some serious German history books. My old man pitched up at Bergen-Belsen by accident four days after it was "liberated". He only spoke about it once; 20 years later.

This is a forum about the Lotus Elans, unless I'm mistaken. There are possibly other places where you could vent your ill-advised opinions.

Cheers,
Pete.

[chrishewett]

Of course I agree with you about uninsured and dangerous drivers, I see them everyday. Unfortunately I dont see the police trying to stop them. It seems that targeting generally law abiding people is more profitable.
By the way I do read serious history books.
At least I have finally found someone who admits to voting for this government! Sorry to have touched your raw nerve.
I now consider this topic closed.
Chris