On our walk this evening we went up the hill to the main road, where there is a layby opposite. Parked there is a turquoise Morris Minor that looks an absolute wreck. Haven’t seen it there previously. Back home I looked it up and it appears to be taxed and insured, but the MOT expired in Feb 2019. Abandoned because the scrapyards are closed?
Is it more than 40 years old? If so no MOT needed. Which is also why it can still be “taxed” (free) and insured.
Yes, it’s a 1967 model. I thought the tax might be a formality, but surely a car of this age still needs a MOT to be considered roadworthy? This one would never pass without some serious panel replacement.
I was about to question how you can tax/insure a car without a valid MOT but @RichardFX is right, from gov.uk:
You do not need to get an MOT if:
- the vehicle was built or first registered more than 40 years ago
- no ‘substantial changes’ have been made to the vehicle in the last 30 years, for example replacing the chassis, body, axles or engine to change the way the vehicle works
Although the page also states:
You do not have to apply to stop getting an MOT for your vehicle each year. However, you must still keep it in a roadworthy condition.
You can be fined up to £2,500 and get 3 penalty points for using a vehicle in a dangerous condition
Which based on your comments this doesn’t sound like it would meet…
Thanks, I’ve learned something today!
The removal of a need for an MoT for 40-year old cars was a matter of some debate in the classic car world. Some welcomed it, especially those who serviced, repaired and rebuilt their own cars, as they felt the MoT didn’t serve any useful purpose. Others felt that the MoT was a useful third-party check that their vehicle was indeed sound and roadworthy. Some garages now issue their own ‘certificate of road worthiness’ after they have serviced a vehicle. The big concern was that if there was ever a major accident involving a classic car which did not have an MoT then regardless of what actually caused the accident the classic car community would end up being the scapegoat.
We still have our 1959 Morris Minor Traveller MoT’ed every year not because we don’t trust our regular mechanic - we wouldn’t let him near the car if we didn’t - but just for our own peace of mind. The cost is minimal and the MoT man always seems quite pleased to see it each year.
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Lovely car. I think that’s a great thing to do - I would too.
Technicality question. If you choose to have it MOTd and it fails… Does that matter?
Our front room fire is safe (we used it for many years after having it checked out by a friend in the trade when the wall/fireplace was rebuilt/decorated) and it was swept several times without issue.
Regulations changed, and when we then had a sweep out to remove a pigeon they couldn’t see that it was safe without removing the wall, and so they were obliged to ‘condemn’ it, and record it as such. If the house had burned down whilst we were using the fire before then we’d have been insured, if it burns down now we won’t be. Is it the same here?
Is the garage obliged to inform the powers that be if your car fails? I’d hope not, and I know it’s different circumstances to our fire (!) but it just crossed my mind.
Even if MOT exempt a classic vehicle must be roadworthy. So if you MOTd it and it failed then it would not be considered safe for the road until repaired.
Regs for MOTs are vehicle age dependent, so they will never apply a newer car rule to a ‘classic’ car manufactured when certain things didn’t exist. Like catalytic converters for example.
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Yes.
The regulations mention “roadworthy condition”. OK for a museum if it fails, but it should not be on the road. It will be up to the owner as usual to restore it to the correct state, and the garage can then make the appropriate notification. However, something relatively “modern” like the Moggy will be just fine if its condition is as originally specified.
I can think of cars like that fire-breathing racing Fiat which would probably fail an MOT, if modern standards were applied. But if it performs as originally designed, (bearing in mind it is not something one would drive around town or take to the shops), then it was probably “roadworthy” then, and so should be “roadworthy” now if used as originally intended.
The case of the fire is significant, because flues for modern fires/appliances now must be available for inspection and repair. Too many people were dying because of CO poisoning and in house-fires. The regulations were improved and necessary.
When my central heating was updated to a condensing boiler, the new flue could no longer be straight up the old stainless lining in the chimney in the centre of the house to share its warmth with the surrounding structure; and now we have an unsightly set of elbowed pipes visible. Fortunately the gas consumption has dropped by about a third, so I’m prepared to compromise and some of the pipes have been boxed with removable panels.
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As others have just said, if it fails then that failure does count. As Germy said the MoT is age-dependent - our Traveller doesn’t have seat belts for example but that isn’t a problem. I think this is why you lose the MoT exemption if the car has had ‘substantial changes’.
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Meanwhile is the car in question actually abandoned?
If it’s taxed and insured then technically no. Not insured and on a public road, including the verge then it’s abandoned and the Local Council should arrange to have it removed.
As its taxed and insured, its not abandoned. It’i a subjective opinion whether its “fit for the road”.
not all verges are public road, sommetimes only the 1st metre
Why would anyone abandon a car that’s taxed and insured, it’s a sure fire way of being identified and getting a fine/removal bill from the council.
It’s probably just broken like most old English cars do. At least with a Mazda you have more than a fair chance of getting home under your own steam at the end of a day out. I live near tatton park & after each show the roadsides are littered with broken down ‘classics’ trying to get home. They were crap when they were new never mind several decades on.
Whilst I know that Mazda are not exactly immune from rust for example, they are a shining beacon in longevity compared to most of the old stuff a lot of used to drive around in, now all called classics.
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Wait till they get a bit old. Not an unfamiliar scene to me.
I wonder if, when its 61 years old, your MX5 will be going as well as our Morris Minor? 
Your Morris Minor is a modern Baby.
My older car has just turned 85 years old and is still good for 60 MPH
( 72 down hill with a following wind )
It is still on wire rope brakes none of this hydraulic rubbish !
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I’m intrigued - what have you got?