DVLA FINALLY STARTS ADDING MISSING CAR MARQUES - AT LAST!
Agency will make more classic-friendly changes later this month
‘It will make a huge difference to some of our customers who have historic or special build vehicles’ EMMA STEELE, DVLA DESIGNER
The DVLA has caved in to pressure from classic car owners and is starting to add missing marques to its online database.
CCW’s own research shows that owners and prospective buyers for previously missing marques such as Allard, Alvis, DeLorean, Crossley, and Standard can now finally look up MoT history, tax and insurance data using the DVLA’s online service.
The DVLA has refused to confirm what makes have been added to the Vehicle Enquiry Service ( VES), or even when they were added, but has said that starting from ‘the beginning of May’, the VES will be updated so owners will no longer have to input the make of the vehicle to look up records – just the make and registration number.
Emma Steele, DVLA service designer, says: ‘This is a small but important change because it will make a huge difference to some of our customers who have historic or special build vehicles. As it stands, the system sometimes doesn’t pick up those records, but it will once this change comes in.’
Other changes to come include an additional confirmation step to the online process of displaying partial vehicle details to help users check that they are accessing the correct record. The DVLA website will also be updated to make it easier for users to navigate.
Steele adds: ‘This is not the end – we’re always looking to refine and improve our services. We’ve a number of other improvements and service changes to make in the coming months.’
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) said that it had been informed of the DVLA’s plans but had been told previously that the changes would be made in March.
The FBHVC confirmed that no changes to registering classics or making changes to the V5C online have been made yet.
Geoff Lancaster, FBHVC communications director, explains: ‘ What you cannot do is enter a model name which does not have a V55/5 code.
‘If you do include a model name in a registration form, the DVLA may pull the model and make boxes correctly shown in the paper form into the just the make field in the online database. We think we have persuaded them to stop this.
‘ We are still working to persuade the DVLA that when they define a major software change they are planning to their database, they will make it possible to enter the model manually. I think they do understand but it hasn’t been formally agreed. We are hopeful.’
The FBHVC’s recommendation to those making new applications for registrations, particularly in respect of older overseas vehicles which are not likely to have relevant codes, is to not complete the ‘model’ portion of the V55/5.