A POTTED HISTORY OF EXCISE DUTY EXEMPTION

1994

Transport Minister John MacGregor of John Major’s Conservative Government announces that cars over 25 years old would receive Historic Vehicle status and become exempt from road tax.

1998

Tony Blair’s Transport Minister Gavin Strang introduces a freeze to the cutoff date for Historic Vehicle status at 1

January 1973.

2013

George Osborne’s budget moves the cut-off date to 1 January 1974,

effective from 1 April 2014.

2014

Osborne announces re-introduction of a rolling date: from April 1 each year, vehicles built before January 1 of the year 40 years previously will be considered as historic vehicles exempted from paying road tax.

2015

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs calls for the Government to recognise classics more than 30

years old as historic vehicles. A similar arrangement used in much of continental Europe and recommended by the Fédération Internationale des

Véhicules Anciens (FIVA).

2016

A petition calling for the original 25year rule for rolling tax exemption is signed by more than 15,000 people in its first week of going online – and can

still be signed up until 24 June.