So-called historic cars are already a relic because, due to environmental regulations, their presence on the roads has been significantly reduced.
The truth is that the FIVA (The International Federation of Vintage Vehicles has often insisted on a distinction between old and vintage cars: “By historic vehicle, we mean a mechanically driven road vehicle, at least 30 years old, preserved and maintained in correct historical condition and which it is not used as a regular means of transport.
Learn more about historic vehicles
The former should keep in mind that “they should not be confused with old, poorly maintained cars, which are used daily as a cheap means of transportation, when considering the problem of air pollution urban”.
It is for this reason that the Council of Ministers approved the Regulation on new historic vehicles, which will be valid from Tuesday October 1st. The new standard classifies vehicles as historic, which will meet the following conditions.
First, the date of registration or manufacture must be three decades or more old. Likewise, it must be a car model that is no longer in production. This last requirement we are talking about is that the car must “be in its original condition and not have undergone any fundamental modification in terms of its technical characteristics or its main components, such as the engine, brakes, steering, suspension or bodywork. “.
With this regulation on historic vehicles, this type of car will be allowed to circulate through the so-called ZBE, although it will only be 96 days a year, and cars that are over sixty years old will be exempt from the obligation to pass the ITV. .
In our country there are more than forty thousand such cars, which is a much lower figure than in other countries, because in the United Kingdom, up to more than a million of this type registered, in Germany there are six hundred thousand.
Why are there so few historic vehicles in Spain?
The limited presence of this type of vehicle in the country is due to the fact that to register them according to the previous regulations, the process was expensive and very cumbersome, which did not really encourage registering the car as historic.
This formalized regulation marks a new era marked by the existing consensus between the administration, historic vehicle enthusiasts and the environmental regulationsso that the procedures involved in the maintenance of historic vehicles are less costly and the cultural and automotive heritage is preserved and promoted.
Declare a classic motorcycle, much faster and cheaper
The new regulation means a significant improvement in proceduressimplifies them and also adds other advantages to be able to use a vehicle on public roads, so making the transition from a classic car to a historic car becomes more interesting than ever.
The requirements for a vehicle to be considered historic are virtually the same as up until now. In principle, the vehicle must have been registered for the first time or manufactured for at least thirty years. It must also be in its original condition or have undergone renovations that do not affect its originality or historic character.
Motorcycles over 30 years old will also benefit
The good news is that now cars that want to be historic will be classified and grouped into two different types. Until now, the word “catalogue” was used instead of “classify” and there was no difference between classics with ITV and those without.
Group A
Those who have a registration plate from our country, thirty years old or older, have a valid ITV and have not undergone major changes. More than 95% of historic vehicles will be classified in this group.
Group B
Other vehicles that will not meet the above requirements. These Group A vehicles will have simpler procedures, where the owner will only need to submit a responsible and compliant declaration attesting that the vehicle can be classified as historic.
A report from an official laboratory will no longer be necessary. Of course you must have a valid ITV. Owners must sign a declaration of responsibility and present it to the DGT along with payment of the car service exchange fee, which will cost between twenty and thirty euros.
