Hemmings Daily: U.K. sets official cutoff age for classic cars at 40 years with new MOT exemption

1971 Austin Sprite. Photo by David LaChance. Even though the United Kingdom's Department for Transport rejects the term "classic car," it set a de facto 40-year cutoff age defining them this month as it decided which historical vehicles should be exempt from annual roadworthiness testing and which should not. Expected to grant MOT roadworthiness testing exemptions to 293,000 more vehicles, the DfT decision, released nearly a year after a public consultation on the topic, applies strictly to unmodified non-comm [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Friday, September 29, 2017 [U.K. sets official cutoff age for classic cars at 40 years with new MOT exemption]( [U.K. sets official cutoff age for classic cars at 40 years with new MOT exemption]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - 1971 Austin Sprite. Photo by David LaChance. Even though the United Kingdom's Department for Transport rejects the term "classic car," it set a de facto 40-year cutoff age defining them this month as it decided which historical vehicles should be exempt from annual roadworthiness testing and which should not. Expected to grant MOT roadworthiness testing exemptions to 293,000 more vehicles, the DfT decision, released nearly a year after a public consultation on the topic, applies strictly to unmodified non-comm... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1973 Buick Century Gran Sport]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1973 Buick Century Gran Sport]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1973 Buick Gran Sport Stage 1, automatic, factory air, power windows and seat, positraction, bench seat, rock solid body, frame and floors, original spare, garage kept, never modified or altered in any way, Buick road wheels, all glass in crack free, dash and package tray are crack free with no signs of water damage,not restored, original survivor. Find more Buicks for sale on Hemmings.com....[Read More]( [Derek Bell honored with 2017 Simeone Spirit of Competition Award]( [Derek Bell honored with 2017 Simeone Spirit of Competition Award]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Derek Bell at Sebring in 2008. Photo by Freewheeling Daredevil. Derek Bell has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans a total of five times, the 24 Hours of Daytona three times, and the World Sportscar Championship twice. He's been inducted into the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), the Motorsport Hall of Fame of America, and the Le Mans 24 Hours Drivers Hall of Fame, and he has been an honoree of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. On November 15, Bell will add one more accolade to his resume when he acc...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [This 1965 GTO ad evokes nostalgia]( [This 1965 GTO ad evokes nostalgia]( Posted by Thomas A. DeMauro - Photo by author. Longtime readers of the Hemmings Daily will recall me mentioning that my parents owned a 1965 GTO when I was very young. It was Burgundy with a black interior, the 360-hp Tri-Power engine, and a four-speed. That Pontiac made a lasting impression on me. Some of my earliest memories of being in a car are those of my Dad rowing through the GTO's gears with the Hurst shifter. In the late 1970s when I was about 12 years old, during a family visit at my grandparents' house, I remembered that there w...[Read More]( [Phoenix, Arizona, 1950s]( [Phoenix, Arizona, 1950s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1950s Location: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix, Arizona Source: Vintage Phoenix What do you see here?...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [HemmingsPRO] Seller Listings [Learn More]( [1952 Chevrolet]( [1952 Chevrolet $38,500]( [1949 Oldsmobile]( [1949 Oldsmobile $15,950]( [1953 Ford Customline]( [1953 Ford Customline $23,900]( [1941 Ford Super Deluxe]( [1941 Ford Super Deluxe $42,900]( [1956 Studebaker Transtar]( [1956 Studebaker Transtar $17,500]( [1987 Porsche 911]( [1987 Porsche 911 $38,900]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 9/29/1966: Chevrolet Camaro debuts. UPCOMING EVENTS [Renaissance Euro Fest Classic European Auto & Motorcycle Show]( October 6, 2017 - Ridgeland, MS [British Legends Weekend]( October 6, 2017 - Falmouth, MA [Burn Out In The Burg]( October 7, 2017 - Strasburg, IL [Factory Musclecars Only]( October 7, 2017 - Dowling Park, FL [Merchants Cruise-In]( October 7, 2017 - Fort Recovery, OH [5th Annual Tony's Place Car Show]( October 7, 2017 - Ivyland, PA [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS Sponsored By: [Sponsor]( [1987 Toyota Tacoma]( [1987 Toyota Tacoma]( [$12,500]( [1952 Dodge B3]( [1952 Dodge B3]( [$18,000]( [1956 Oldsmobile 98]( [1956 Oldsmobile 98]( [$32,000]( [1976 Ford Elite]( [1976 Ford Elite]( [$13,500]( [1976 Cadillac Eldorado]( [1976 Cadillac Eldorado]( [$12,500]( [1967 Plymouth Belvedere 2]( [1967 Plymouth Belvedere 2]( [$13,229]( [1985 Yamaha]( [1985 Yamaha]( [$3,500]( [1974 Ford E100]( [1974 Ford E100]( [$19,500]( [Maverick Grabber Door Panels 1971]( [Maverick Grabber Door Panels 1971]( [$375]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [Porsche builds the one-millionth 911]( [Porsche builds the one-millionth 911]( [Datsun's 510, a sport sedan for the common man, marks its golden anniversary]( [Datsun's 510, a sport sedan for the common man, marks its golden anniversary]( [See All Featured Blog Posts]( FOLLOW US: [Get RSS Feeds of Hemmings Blog]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Join us on Facebook]( [View our Flickr pool]( [View Newsletter Archives]( WEEK IN REVIEW Thursday, September 28, 2017 [A unique 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model C-Six, with ties to Hemmings, heads to auction in Philadelphia]( [A unique 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model C-Six, with ties to Hemmings, heads to auction in Philadelphia]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - By 1913, Stevens-Duryea had established itself as one of America's finest automakers, selling touring cars and limousines at prices comparable to marques like Pierce-Arrow and Packard. Just 1,000 automobiles were built by Stevens-Duryea in 1913, and of these, less than 10 are said to remain. One, a Model C-Six five-passenger touring car featured in the November 2005 issue of Hemmings Classic Car, bears the distinction of never having been restored by past owners, and on October 2 this incredibly preserved specimen...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1925 Ford roadster]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1925 Ford roadster]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Raw aluminum Hagemann-built 1925 Ford boattail roadster for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Raw and Beautiful, truly a functional work of art and superior craftsmanship! This all aluminum bodied Boat-Tail Speedster Roadster was professionally hand built and currently owned by Jack Hagemann Jr, who is well known for his legendary metal fabrication skills & hand formed components that can be found on countless award winning show & race cars. Jack is a true master of the Hot Rod Industry a...[Read More]( [BMC Mini "Specials" research, a new service of Maximum Mini Heritage]( [BMC Mini 'Specials' research, a new service of Maximum Mini Heritage]( Posted by Mark J. McCourt - Images are courtesy of Jeroen Booij, and from the Hemmings library Fans of the original BMC Mini have been educated, enlightened, and entertained by the excellent trio of "Maximum Mini" books created by author and historian Jeroen Booij. In tackling a subject few have previously highlighted - the coachbuilts and one-off "Specials" created using the million-selling Mini's front wheel-drive platform and mechanicals -- Jeroen uncovered hundreds of Mini-based variants in his years of research, enough that his first b...[Read More]( [The Comet's Competition: 1960 FoMoCo Comet brochure]( [The Comet's Competition: 1960 FoMoCo Comet brochure]( Posted by Mark J. McCourt - Brochure images from the collection of Terry Shea. It's little remembered today, but the original Comet -- sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships as a standalone model for two model years -- was intended from the start to be an Edsel; this explained its upmarket body design and trimmings, compared to the Ford Falcon upon which it was based. The 1960 Comet four- and two-door sedans shared the Falcon's internal body structure, cowl, and front doors, along with most of its mechanical components, and differed wi...[Read More]( [Dallas, 1960s]( [Dallas, 1960s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1960s Location: Dallas, Texas Source: vintage postcard via LDCFitzgerald.com What do you see here?...[Read More]( Wednesday, September 27, 2017 [Joe Bailon, inventor of "candy apple red" and other paints, dies aged 94]( [Joe Bailon, inventor of 'candy apple red' and other paints, dies aged 94]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photo from the Hemmings archives. Lay down a coat of gold first, then red atop that, then follow that with a clear coat with some red mixed into it and you get deep, delicious glowing paint known the world over as "candy apple red." Sounds simple, but it took Joe Bailon -- the customizer credited with inventing the process, who died this week at the age of 94 -- 10 years to perfect. Bailon's eye for color and shape well predates candy apple red, of course. He applied scallops to the first car he had a hand in ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1955 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1955 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: This is a very original 1955 Desoto Fireflight Sportsman Two Door Hardtop. It is in excellent condition and can be driven anywhere. It has the original interior including the original carpets. The dash pad and instrument panel is like new. All of the chrome trim is in excellent condition. The paint is excelletnt and has no chips,scratches or dents. It is an 86,000 mile original 1955 Desoto Sportsman. The tires are almost new and the sparetire has never been on the road. This Desoto is...[Read More]( [Land Rover Experience Center Heritage Program comes to the U.S.]( [Land Rover Experience Center Heritage Program comes to the U.S.]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Land Rover Defender 90. Images courtesy Jaguar Land Rover. In 2015, Land Rover introduced its Heritage Driving Experience at the brand's test center in Fen End, in England's West Midlands. There, customers could pick from a variety of vintage Land Rovers to test, ranging from a 101 Forward Control to a Series III to a Classic Range Rover. Beginning this month, U.S. fans can enjoy a similar experience in California, Vermont, or North Carolina, with one catch: The only non-contemporary vehicle available is a La...[Read More]( [Recommended Reading: Volvo P1800 - From idea to prototype and production]( [Recommended Reading: Volvo P1800 - From idea to prototype and production]( Posted by Richard Lentinello - Photos by author. Pointblank: If you own a Volvo P1800 or are a longstanding admirer of this fascinating sports car, then you must own this book. Without question, this is the definitive P1800 book -- no other books on the P1800 can compare. Laid out in a landscape format of 9 x 11 inches in size, this hardcover book, which totals 280 pages of a quality coated stock, was published in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2011. Written by two serious Volvo P1800 enthusiasts, Kenneth Collander and Mats Eriksson, their goa...[Read More]( [California, 1960s]( [California, 1960s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1960s Location: somewhere in California (maybe?) Source: via limegum on Tumblr What do you see here?...[Read More]( Tuesday, September 26, 2017 [AACA to buy larger building for HQ and library; aiming for move-in date in 2019]( [AACA to buy larger building for HQ and library; aiming for move-in date in 2019]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Images via Google Street View. While the Antique Automobile Club of America's current digs have an undeniably exceptional provenance as a former dormitory for the Milton Hershey School, they lack in one key element -- space -- leading the club to sign an agreement to purchase a larger building a little more than a mile away to house its headquarters and library. As revealed in an email from the club to its members late last week, the club will purchase the existing Pennsylvania American Water Company building ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa 140]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa 140]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa 140 convertible for sale. From the seller's description: Fully restored in 1997 with full strip and repaint. New, NOS, or repro trim where available. New top and interior. Engine, trans, diff rebuilt. NOS wire wheels. Electric convertible top. AM Radio. 140hp 4 carb engine with 4 speed. Suspension fully rebuilt with bushings, joints, springs and shocks. Recent work includes brake refresh with all hydraulics new or rebuilt. Fresh carb overhauls, new fuel pump, spark plugs, points, wires ...[Read More]( [Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI coming to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in September 2018]( [Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI coming to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in September 2018]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Porsche Rennsport Reunion V, which celebrated the "Legends of Le Mans." Photos courtesy Porsche Cars North America. Since 2001, fans of Porsche's racing cars, and the designers, engineers, and drivers behind them, have gathered every three or four years for the Rennsport (German for Racing) Reunion. Held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca since the fourth gathering in 2011, the event returns to California's Monterey Peninsula for Rennsport Reunion VI, taking place from September 27-30, 2018. For 2018, Rennspor...[Read More]( [The $5,000 Challenge, some assembly required edition]( [The $5,000 Challenge, some assembly required edition]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Assuming they have sufficient funds, anyone can buy a car. Cash is paid out in exchange for keys and a title, and for many, such a transaction is satisfying enough. For others, however, a car isn't truly theirs until blood is spilled, solvent fumes are inhaled, sleep is lost tracking down parts, and, ultimately, an otherwise derelict automobile emerges reborn. The five candidates in this latest $5,000 challenge are project cars. Some can be driven as-is, while others will require a significant amount of work to r...[Read More]( [Paris, 1981]( [Paris, 1981]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1981 Location: Paris, France Source: via Ran When Parked What do you see here? ...[Read More]( Monday, September 25, 2017 [Datsun's 510, a sport sedan for the common man, marks its golden anniversary]( [Datsun's 510, a sport sedan for the common man, marks its golden anniversary]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - 1972 Datsun 510 two-door sedan. Photos by Daniel Strohl, unless otherwise noted. In the 1960s, Japanese carmakers battled for respectability with U.S. consumers, who typically viewed their wares as little more than inexpensive, basic transportation. Yutaka Katayama, then president of Nissan USA -- and best known by his "Mr. K" nickname -- believed that his company could build an affordable sport sedan that buyers wanted, not just settled for. The result, launched in late 1967 as a 1968 model, was the Datsun 510, ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1939 Ford Tudor sedan]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1939 Ford Tudor sedan]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Lightly modified 1939 Ford Tudor sedan for sale. From the seller's description: This is an exceptional, award winning 1939 Ford. It features flawless black clear-coat paint; splotless stainless steel & chrome trim; and clean tan mohair unholstery. The flathead was built with Offenhauser heads, dual carbs, and a high lift cam. Upgrades include a 12 volt electrical system, dual exhausts, "banjo steering wheel" and an aluminum radiator. It is a clean, pretty much stock 1939 with 1950s era tweaks to make it fun to ...[Read More]( [Petersen Museum's chief marketing officer joins America's Automotive Trust as CEO]( [Petersen Museum's chief marketing officer joins America's Automotive Trust as CEO]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Adam Langsbard. Photo courtesy AAT. Adam Langsbard joined the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles as chief marketing officer in November 2013, just 10 months before the California landmark closed its doors for a year-long, $90-million renovation. Despite this handicap, Langsbard attracted significant corporate sponsorship and led the effort to further develop the Petersen brand, ensuring a successful reopening and ongoing positive reviews. Now, he assumes the role of chief executive officer (CEO) of Amer...[Read More]( [Blundered Brougham - Revell's accidental Cadillac in 1/25 scale]( [Blundered Brougham - Revell's accidental Cadillac in 1/25 scale]( Posted by Jeff Koch - In the December issue of Hemmings Classic Car, you can read all about the 1957-'58 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. Two examples are featured there, one bone-stock, and one ex-parts-car brought back to life, looking stock but discretely modified to feel like a proper Cadillac despite a boatload of aftermarket components. For those of us who didn't have 13 grand to spend on a real car in 1957, or six figures to own one now, we got to play with Revell's 1:25 scale model kit. Endless customizing and upgrading was possibl...[Read More]( [1969 Iso Grifo is a tribute to Dad]( [1969 Iso Grifo is a tribute to Dad]( Posted by David Conwill - This 1969 Iso Grifo mixes a Chevrolet V-8 and four-speed transmission with the best of Italian styling and chassis engineering. Image by Mike Zeller. If you had money, taste, and a thirst for performance in the '60s, you could have done worse than to select an Iso Grifo as your ride. The Grifo was a product of the Italian firm Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A (originator of the Isetta bubble car), which coupled handsome Bertone coachwork and sporty Italian suspension tuning with a robust and powerful American V-8 powertra...[Read More]( [Chamrousse, France, 1950s]( [Chamrousse, France, 1950s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1950s Location: Station de Chamrousse, Isere, France Source: via Frenchcurious on Tumblr What do you see here?...[Read More]( Sunday, September 24, 2017 [The prancing horses emotions in motion: Fortuitous close-ups from Ferraris official 70th anniversary party]( [The prancing horses emotions in motion: Fortuitous close-ups from Ferraris official 70th anniversary party]( Posted by Matteo Giacon - Once in a decade, there is a moment of the year when it is possible to see a literal herd of prancing horses gathering together to celebrate their birthplace's birthday: just like in previous years ending with number 7, 2017 was another one of those magical moment when such an event was possible. Yes, Ferrari now is 70 years old, and rarely it has looked so young, successful and dynamic like in these months: with record-setting production and record-breaking stock exchange successes, seems like there were m...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1954 Packard Convertible]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1954 Packard Convertible]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: Very Nice 1954 packard Convertible. Not the Caribbean, just the convertible. 32000 miles, was out of service a number of years, last inspeciton sticker on the car is 1965. This car has the aluminum head 359 engine and automatic transmission. Itis completely mechanically refurbished featuring rebuilt original engine and Chrysler 727 transmission replacing the Gear Start Ultramatic. Rebuilt fuel pump, generator and starter. The correct air cleaner lid is included with the large silencer...[Read More]( [Four-Links - Circuit Safari, cherry Jeep, 101 Dalmatians, Birmingham]( [Four-Links - Circuit Safari, cherry Jeep, 101 Dalmatians, Birmingham]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Nissan's doing something interesting in Australia. Rather than running their vintage race cars past grandstands full of spectators, they're packing the spectators onto buses and running both the buses and the vintage race cars on the track at the same time. They're calling it "circuit safari." (via) * eWillys came across a couple photos of wooden off-roaders -- including this cherry-bodied Jeep CJ -- built by Matt Goebel of Wellington, Ohio. * Via the Steampunk Vehicles blog, we learned this week that ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1948 Chrysler Windsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1948 Chrysler Windsor]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Partially restored 1948 Chrysler Windsor for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: I bought this car in the San Francisco Bay Area when I was 22 years old, my first Classic Car, in 1978... See the last picture of when I owned in 1978. When I moved to Southern California in 1980, I brought it with me. I absolutely loved this car, with its very special Transmission, refered to by Chrysler as Fluidmatic or Simplimatic. It has 2 speeds in Low gear and 2 speeds in High gear and Reverse...kind of a Semi-A...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S MOST READ ["Too many good parts," so he sliced and diced and spliced back together his Cutlass into a mini-4-4-2]( ['Too many good parts,' so he sliced and diced and spliced back together his Cutlass into a mini-4-4-2]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photos courtesy R.E. Olds Transportation Museum. Storage, Mark Memmel said, wasn't kind to his Oldsmobile Cutlass. Rust ate up about half of the car while it sat, so he ultimately decided to restore it -- as half of a car -- and the result now sits on display in a much kinder environment, the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum. Seventeen-year-old Mark bought as his first car a 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-4-2, one that he restored himself and drove around in the early 1980s. Though he sold it, he still had the itch ...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION [Jack Smith, father of the Plymouth Road Runner, dies at age 94]( [Jack Smith, father of the Plymouth Road Runner, dies at age 94]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Photo by Jeff Koch. "Nobody but nobody will ever put a cartoon bird on one of my cars." The threat from Dick Macadam was real enough that he poked an executive vice president of Chrysler in the chest to hammer his point home. And in that moment, in that hallway in Highland Park, the Plymouth Road Runner nearly died before it was born. It took the persistence and vision of John L. "Jack" Smith -- who died last week at the age of 94 -- to make sure that the cartoon bird would become the most beloved Looney Tunes me...[Read More]( Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. For more information about this newsletter, email webmaster@hemmings.com or write to: Customer Service, Hemmings Motor News, 222 Main St., Bennington VT 05201. If you do not want to receive this newsletter from Hemmings Motor News, you can [change your email preferences here](.