Motorists may be better off purchasing an old classic car than a new modern petrol and diesel machine due to this little-known rule.
Drivers are given “more incentives” to own a highly polluting classic car over 40 years old than a modern petrol or diesel model, according to a motoring influencer.
@AutoPap joked road users should all be owning historic Morris Marinas instead of modern machines to make dramatic savings on running costs.
The expert even branded rule-makers “idiots” after revealing a simple hack to make massive savings on driving expenses.
Commenting on X, formerly Twitter, @Autopap said: “Thinking about the tax system the idiots in charge have put in place.
“There’s now more incentive to drive a polluting car over 40 years old than a fairly new Euro-compliant ICE. No ULEZ. No Road Tax. No MOT So we should all be driving Marinas to save money right?”
GOV.UK makes clear that motorists driving vehicles above 40 years old would receive benefits under the historic vehicle criteria.
Drivers can apply to stop paying vehicle tax if their vehicle was built before January 1, 1983.
Motorists who do not know when a vehicle was built can still apply to stop paying tax if it was first registered before January 8, 1983.
This is a rolling 40-year exemption meaning models built before 1984 will not be forced to pay any road tax next April.
The rolling classic car tax exemption was first introduced back in 2017 meaning motorists have been able to make the savings for over half a decade.
WeBuyAnyCar explained: “Most classic cars in the UK are kept as second vehicles and therefore are not the driver’s primary mode of transportation.
“Whilst exemption might seem unfair on the face of it, most cars that have reached the required age for tax exemption aren’t used for everyday driving and are instead more of a collector’s item.”
Transport for London (TfL) has also accepted that anyone inside the historic vehicle tax class will not be required to pay charges.
Meanwhile, road users do not need to get an MOT test if the vehicle was built or registered more than 40 years ago. This is the case as long as no “substantial changes” have been made to the vehicle in the last 30 years.
@AutoPap stressed the fact that it makes sense to own a classic car over a modern vehicle today was “ridiculous in itself”.
