The new Regulations do not fundamentally change the requirements for accepting a car as historic. Basically, the vehicle must have been registered or first manufactured at least thirty years ago. It must also be in original condition, or have had some modifications that do not affect its originality or historic character. The new thing is that now vehicles that want to be historic are classified and grouped into two types. Until now the term ‘catalogue’ was used instead of ‘classify’ and there was no differentiation between classics that had the ITV and those that did not:
Group A: those with a Spanish registration, 30 years old or more, a valid ITV and have not received substantial changes (bodywork, suspension…). More than 95% of historic vehicles in Spain can be classified in this group.
Group B: The rest of the vehicles that do not meet the above requirements.
Vehicles included in group A will have their procedures simplified, and the owner will only have to present a responsible declaration stating that their vehicle is susceptible to being classified as historic. A report from an official laboratory will not be necessary. However, it must have a valid ITV. These owners have to sign a declaration of responsibility and present it to the DGT together with payment of the vehicle service change fee, which will cost between 20 and 30 euros.
For Group B vehicles, a technical report will be required, as until now. This report must prove that the vehicle is suitable to be considered historic. The change is that this report will no longer be done by official laboratories but by the Historic Vehicle Technical Services. This report is what allows you to go to the ITV to obtain the vehicle technical card that must be presented to the DGT. Another change is that these Technical Services must be accredited by the National Association of Accreditors ENAC and will be valid for the whole of Spain, which was not the case with the laboratories. In these cases, which will be very few, the owners will have to pay the cost of the report and the ITV as extra.
The distinctive mark that the historic car must bear will have these measurements, in millimetres.
The new Regulation also defines the validity periods of the ITV for these vehicles, depending on their age.
Up to 40 years: Every 2 years
From 40 to 45 years: Every 3 years
Equal to or more than 45 years: Every 4 years
Motorcycles: Every 4 years
Another change is that vehicles that are more than 60 years old since their manufacture or the first date of registration are exempt from passing the ITV, although owners can take their vehicle for inspection voluntarily. This is something that is already done in several European countries, and with this measure it is intended to prevent historic vehicles from leaving for other places in Spanish territory. For mopeds classified as historic, the exemption from passing the ITV is total.
Which entities will be able to issue certificates of originality?
And at this point we link up with another of the new features of the new Regulation, which is that an overall governing body is created that encompasses all entities related to historic vehicles, such as associations, clubs, the FEVA…, which will be able to issue simpler certificates on the originality of the vehicles presented by their owners. To prevent anyone from creating an association to issue a certificate and earn money, it is required that they be registered in a register of associations linked to historic vehicles, either at a national level or in a CCAA, and that they are at least 3 years old. The objective is to guarantee the professionalism of these associations and that they have not been created only to issue certificates. With the new Historic Vehicle Regulations, collectors and owners of classic cars see their activity recognised.
Finally, the new Regulations urge local councils to establish formulas that allow historic vehicles to circulate on urban roads with environmental restrictions, provided that their owners make sporadic and occasional use of their vehicles, as is usually the case. The new Historic Vehicle Regulations will allow those classified as such to circulate 96 days a year. For example, if you want to use it every month, you could do so for 8 days each month. When requesting a historic vehicle classification, you will have to sign a declaration in which you take responsibility for complying with everything required by the new VH Regulations. If at any time you are stopped by the traffic police or Civil Guard or the cameras detect that you have entered a ZBE for more than 96 days in a year, your classification will be taken away and you will be fined. According to a study by the Spanish Federation of Antique Vehicles (FEVA), antique vehicles do not represent a problem from the environmental point of view or for traffic management, since they are used much less frequently and with much more attention than modern vehicles; they travel short distances with an insignificant part of the general fuel consumption, causing minimal consequences linked to the problem of pollution. In addition, their owners avoid places and times of heavy traffic, so they do not contribute to the current problems of urban traffic congestion. The FEVA study states that 61% of them circulate less than 20 days a year, and consequently, their impact from an environmental point of view is totally marginal. The FEVA has been an entity that has actively collaborated in the drafting of the new Regulation, together with the DGT, the FEMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces) and the classic car clubs themselves. In this way, this new Regulation aims to end the concern that has been generated among classic car owners and collectors by municipal regulations that restrict the use of polluting vehicles in cities, which are highly restrictive for vehicles that are used very sporadically. Other new features: number plates, seat belts, children…
Other new features of the new Regulations for Historic Vehicles are:
The letter V disappears from the badge on historic vehicles. Until now they were identified with the letters VH in black on an orange background on a circular sticker. As of October 1, vehicles classified as historic will be able to stick this badge with the letter H in black on an orange background on the back of the car. Its use is not mandatory. A smaller size has been designed for motorcycles and mopeds. A speed limit of 80 km/h is established for historic vehicles that by construction do not have seat belts in the front seats. It prohibits their use on interurban roads for minors of height equal to or less than 135 centimeters when the historic vehicles do not have seat belts or in which it is not possible to install child restraint systems.
A maximum period of one year has been established from the entry into force of the VH Royal Decree, for the person in charge of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism to promote the modification of the inspection Procedure Manual for ITV Stations in order to introduce specific considerations for Historic Vehicles. The new Historic Vehicle Regulation is expected to come into force on 1 October.
