Classic??

Dellb

CCCUK Member
Hi All
I have a 1980 C3 Corvette with 1980 U.K. plates. The car was first registered in the U.K. in 1986. Next year she hit the 40 year mark. Will the road tax exemption kick in then?
 

antijam

CCCUK Member
Hi All
I have a 1980 C3 Corvette with 1980 U.K. plates. The car was first registered in the U.K. in 1986. Next year she hit the 40 year mark. Will the road tax exemption kick in then?

Cars qualify for tax exemption if they were built 40 or more years before 1st January. However, you cannot apply for exemption until the 1st April in the qualifying year. Therefore, a car must be a minimum of 40 years and 3 months old before you can apply for exemption. You still have to tax the car but it costs nothing.
If the car was built more than 40 years ago and no "substantial changes" have been made in the last 30 years, it is MoT exempt. You still have a liability ensure that the car is road legal.
 

curious bystander

CCCUK Member
Look at your V5C. If it says the car was first registered on 1st Jan 1980 then whenever it was actually built it will be tax and MOT exempt from 1st April 2020. You'll need to send the V5C and form V10 to the DVLA. Do this next January/February and the process should only take a few weeks.
My car was built on 11th September 1979 (so not 40 yet) but I've just got the exemption through doing the above. Happy days:sneaky:
 

Dellb

CCCUK Member
Cars qualify for tax exemption if they were built 40 or more years before 1st January. However, you cannot apply for exemption until the 1st April in the qualifying year. Therefore, a car must be a minimum of 40 years and 3 months old before you can apply for exemption. You still have to tax the car but it costs nothing.
If the car was built more than 40 years ago and no "substantial changes" have been made in the last 30 years, it is MoT exempt. You still have a liability ensure that the car is road legal.
 

Dellb

CCCUK Member
Many thanks for that.
How accurate will the DVLA require the info to be?
The reason I ask is this. Although she is a 1980 C3 corvette spec car,
Looking at the VIN number and the plate inside the drivers door, and checking against the corvette registry it transpires that she was built on 12 October 1979 at the St Louis plant.
 

antijam

CCCUK Member
Many thanks for that.
How accurate will the DVLA require the info to be?
The reason I ask is this. Although she is a 1980 C3 corvette spec car,
Looking at the VIN number and the plate inside the drivers door, and checking against the corvette registry it transpires that she was built on 12 October 1979 at the St Louis plant.
In theory, since your car was built and first registered in the UK at different times, you have to provide documentary proof of the cars age. Your research shows that the car reaches the 40 year threshold in a few months time. It will therefore be eligible for exemption from January the 1st 2020 but you will not be able to apply for exemption until April the 1st 2020.
 

curious bystander

CCCUK Member
As far as the DVLA go the critical bit is the first date of registration in the UK. You don't need proof of actual production date.
So if it says 1st January 1980, as antijam says it's 1st April 2020
 

antijam

CCCUK Member
As far as the DVLA go the critical bit is the first date of registration in the UK. You don't need proof of actual production date.
So if it says 1st January 1980, as antijam says it's 1st April 2020

To be pedantic, that's not strictly true. This is an extract from the Government website.....

"You can apply to stop paying for vehicle tax if your vehicle was built before 1 January 1979. You must tax your vehicle even if you do not have to pay.
If you do not know when your vehicle was built, but it was first registered before 8 January 1979, you can still apply to stop paying vehicle tax."


My C3 was first registered in the UK on 01/02/2018, and the V5C states it was first registered (in the USA) 01/01/1971. The 01/01/1971 is an arbitrary date assigned by the DVLA since they don't know the exact date of first registration in the States. My trim tag identifies the car as being built in April 1971 and my copy of the american title gives the date of first registration as 01/06/1971. Either way, the DVLA are happy to accept its exemption from tax.

Regardless of when car was taxed anywhere, it is the date of build that determines the earliest date for exemption.
 
Last edited:

Rich

Administrator
As far as the DVLA go the critical bit is the first date of registration in the UK. You don't need proof of actual production date.
So if it says 1st January 1980, as antijam says it's 1st April 2020

To be pedantic, that's not strictly true...............Regardless of when car was taxed anywhere, it is the date of build that determines the earliest date for exemption.

I tend to agree................................
 

curious bystander

CCCUK Member
All I can say to owners of 79 and 80 'Vettes (as of this year) don't take the "advice" on the DVLA website too literally.
Unless you want to pay another years road tax and get yet another MOT:(
Follow the advice in my previous post
 
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