tax exemption

[long john]

i have a austin mini 1000. it was registered on 07/06/73. how do i find out when it came off the production line? if it was before 01/01/73 it qualifies!

[jake-the-peg]

Oooh 6 months that might be a bit optimistic - worth checking though I heard of someone first registerred in November that qualified

You need a heritage certificate

http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/archive/certificate/default.htm

[long john]

i'll try cheers jake

[lethologica]

Is it the production line date, or the date of first registration that is taken into account?

If it's the date of first registration then have a look on the logbook (V5), I can't imagine where the production line date would be registered unless you contact austin with the chassis number!?

[jake-the-peg]

The historic vehical tax exemption is based on the date of manufacture not the date of first registration.

Since it is quite possible for a vehicle to have been sitting around on a forecourt for some time after manufacture it's quite possible for a vehicle to be registerred after the cut off date but still to qualify.

However in order to prove qualification you need documentary evidence of the car's date of manufacture. Gaydon keep records for many of the BMC marks and you can pay them for a "heritage certificate" which you can use to get the tax status of your car changed.

As pointed out in the question, if it was manufactured prior to 1973 it qualifies for exemption from road tax.