Stamp this out!

This really needs everyone in the Classic vehicle culture to get behind this and prevent it happening: Alignment of Vic Roads Club Permit forms with the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2021. Commonwealth requirements – Classic & Collectable vehicles imported from 1st July 2021 will be issued with a VIN that must be stamped on the vehicle. Yes, that’s right: Stamped on your Vehicle. You are being asked to deface/devalue your pride and joy with a number that is 17 digits long, to allow a computer system to recognise it. The VIN is assigned when the Vehicle Import Approval is issued. It contains the bike or car’s original frame or chassis number, prefixed with a series of zeros and letters to make up 17 caricatures so the computer can recognise it.

The original frame or chassis number is unique to your vehicle; there is absolutely no need to re-stamp that number, along with some zeros and letters. The VIN number is on the Registration form, it is in the Club Permit Log Book. Why not, if Canberra is insistent that the VIN is displayed, include it on the Number Plate, in the form of a small aluminium plate affixed to, or part of the Number Plate. If it is tampered with, it would self-destruct or similar, alerting authorities accordingly. The VIN cannot be used on another car or bike “no matter what” exactly the same as a modern vehicle. Asking that someone with a set of number/letter stamps and a small sledge hammer be let loose to inevitably damage a piece of motoring history, equates to nothing less than that same someone applying graffiti to a building or monument classified by the National Trust.

All Clubs & Associations need to stand together to prevent the implementation of Stamping a VIN. Start a petition – contact your local member – get in touch with the Minister for Transport, both state and federal, whatever it takes to stop this bureaucratic bungle happening.