Query on registration details with DVLA for old kit car
Discussion
In the early nineties my father built a Beauford based on a Ford Cortina. The car used engine, gearbox, axles, suspension, brakes and steering from the donor vehicle and at the time the DVLA registered the Beauford as a 'Cortina Sports' and left it with the age and number plate from the donor.
The car has been owned by my Father ever since and has been kept on the road, undergoing an MOT every year.
He has heard rumours about new rules on how kit cars must be described on the registration documents and asked me to find out if he will have a problem in the future.
Anybody know if he will be okay with his car or is he likely to have an issue at his next MOT?
The car has been owned by my Father ever since and has been kept on the road, undergoing an MOT every year.
He has heard rumours about new rules on how kit cars must be described on the registration documents and asked me to find out if he will have a problem in the future.
Anybody know if he will be okay with his car or is he likely to have an issue at his next MOT?
Edited by jkh112 on Sunday 2nd March 11:58
He should not have an issue with the car as the DVLA have already changed the description by adding the word “Sports” thereby acknowledging that it no longer looks like a Cortina but does have Cortina mechanicals.
I have seen other kit cars with “sports” added to the existing V5 description so I presume that was the DVLA’s policy in the 90’s.
The guidelines in the DVLA leaflet INF26 are not new but there does seem to be a growing awareness of their existence and implications. They are clearly targeted at cars which are still registered as the donor vehicle but which don’t look anything like the donor.
I was called in to have my Ferrari F355 replica inspected by the DVLA in 2007, they then modified the description of the car on the registration document to remove any reference to either Toyota or MR2. Recently however they seem to have returned to the policy of leaving the original manufacturer’s name as the make and changing the model description. Personally I didn’t care what they changed the name to, the key thing for me was that they had changed the description in some way.
I would advise your father not to worry, in fact if he’s thinking of selling in the near future he should advertise the car as correctly registered and stick a bit on the asking price!
I have seen other kit cars with “sports” added to the existing V5 description so I presume that was the DVLA’s policy in the 90’s.
The guidelines in the DVLA leaflet INF26 are not new but there does seem to be a growing awareness of their existence and implications. They are clearly targeted at cars which are still registered as the donor vehicle but which don’t look anything like the donor.
I was called in to have my Ferrari F355 replica inspected by the DVLA in 2007, they then modified the description of the car on the registration document to remove any reference to either Toyota or MR2. Recently however they seem to have returned to the policy of leaving the original manufacturer’s name as the make and changing the model description. Personally I didn’t care what they changed the name to, the key thing for me was that they had changed the description in some way.
I would advise your father not to worry, in fact if he’s thinking of selling in the near future he should advertise the car as correctly registered and stick a bit on the asking price!
Interesting that you think it is "correctly registered". My Father certainly thinks the same, but he has heard rumours that reference to "cortina" would not be acceptable and that to be correctly registered it should refer to "Beauford".
There does not seem to be any clear information on this.
There does not seem to be any clear information on this.
My Sylva, was registered as a Lotus Sunbeam Sport, by the DVLA in 2000, I did it that way so I could import it to Malysia as kit cars are not allowd but the Lorus Sunbema was on the approved list, car was MOT'd in the UK no problem in 2002. I avoided IVA as I knew i wanted to export the car within a year, but I need an MOT to do the inport.
I suspect that the reason there is no clear information on this is because the DVLA has no clear and consistent policy.
I have 3 kit cars, the registration details of each has clearly been devised using a different policy, none of which is the current policy as I understand it. I regard each one as being “correctly registered” because their details were formulated using the policy in force at the time, and remember these changes were made, and therefore authorised, by the DVLA themselves and not by me.
I would agree that if your father’s car was being registered at this moment in time then the DVLA would probably refer to it as a “Beauford” rather than a “Cortina” but what they would call it next month God only knows.
To be honest if you submitted your V5C to the DVLA each time they changed their policy it would be backwards and forwards from Swansea like a yoyo!
I think the important thing is the fact that the DVLA have made a change to your father’s registration document to acknowledge the change made to the donor Ford Cortina.
If since then the DVLA have changed the way they express this then that is the DVLA’s problem and not that of kit car owners. The DVLA should have produced a consistent naming policy and stuck to it, but then they are a government body so what can you expect!
I have 3 kit cars, the registration details of each has clearly been devised using a different policy, none of which is the current policy as I understand it. I regard each one as being “correctly registered” because their details were formulated using the policy in force at the time, and remember these changes were made, and therefore authorised, by the DVLA themselves and not by me.
I would agree that if your father’s car was being registered at this moment in time then the DVLA would probably refer to it as a “Beauford” rather than a “Cortina” but what they would call it next month God only knows.
To be honest if you submitted your V5C to the DVLA each time they changed their policy it would be backwards and forwards from Swansea like a yoyo!
I think the important thing is the fact that the DVLA have made a change to your father’s registration document to acknowledge the change made to the donor Ford Cortina.
If since then the DVLA have changed the way they express this then that is the DVLA’s problem and not that of kit car owners. The DVLA should have produced a consistent naming policy and stuck to it, but then they are a government body so what can you expect!
jkh112 said:
Anybody know if he will be okay with his car or is he likely to have an issue at his next MOT?
Probably not, if it goes back to the same MOT garage every time.Is 'Cortina Sports' in the make or model section of the V5?
That is, what does it have written for 'MAKE'? 'FORD' for example, or not?
Thanks for the info, I am not usually in the KitCar forum but you seem like a friendly bunch.
The car has been to the same MOT garage since it was first built. My Father has only become aware of this as he now thinking of selling it and has been looking at ads for other kit cars to get some ideas on wording etc.
I am not 100% sure on the V5 but understand the Make is Ford and the Model is Cortina Sports.
The car has been to the same MOT garage since it was first built. My Father has only become aware of this as he now thinking of selling it and has been looking at ads for other kit cars to get some ideas on wording etc.
I am not 100% sure on the V5 but understand the Make is Ford and the Model is Cortina Sports.
jkh112 said:
Thanks for the info, I am not usually in the KitCar forum but you seem like a friendly bunch.
The car has been to the same MOT garage since it was first built. My Father has only become aware of this as he now thinking of selling it and has been looking at ads for other kit cars to get some ideas on wording etc.
I am not 100% sure on the V5 but understand the Make is Ford and the Model is Cortina Sports.
They are a funny bunch at DVLA (maybe it is being a govt. dept. that does it?). About 8 years ago I went to view a Rickman Ranger, and whilst at the sellers address I phoned DVLA to ask them if it was ok because it was registered as a FORD Rickman. They wouldn't give a definitive answer, just mumbled and said 'it should be ok but we can't say for definite'. Not very reassuring at all. As it had all the original paperwork, showing the donor vehicle docs, the letters and replies from DVLA, and the subsequent change to a personal plate sanctioned by DVLA, then I bought it on the basis that they would have a hard job to deny they didn't know about it.The car has been to the same MOT garage since it was first built. My Father has only become aware of this as he now thinking of selling it and has been looking at ads for other kit cars to get some ideas on wording etc.
I am not 100% sure on the V5 but understand the Make is Ford and the Model is Cortina Sports.
Beats me how these people remain employed when they don't even seem to know their own rules.
Until SVA was introduced in mid 70's the registration of " specials" was archaic
Based on knowledge from an era when you could buy a chassis and have a coach built body put on or modify a car for competitions such as trialing
There was an amnesty late 70's and later to try and reduce the number of vague V5 vehicle descriptions.
You should be aware of when the car was built and how it was registered so if DVLA did come knocking you have the answers
For MOT it's registered as a Cortina and I presume still has chassis plates etc so
If MOT tester questions the cars validity your answer I gues is that it was registered correctly as a Cortina Sport with DVLA and has been MOT'd ever since
Based on knowledge from an era when you could buy a chassis and have a coach built body put on or modify a car for competitions such as trialing
There was an amnesty late 70's and later to try and reduce the number of vague V5 vehicle descriptions.
You should be aware of when the car was built and how it was registered so if DVLA did come knocking you have the answers
For MOT it's registered as a Cortina and I presume still has chassis plates etc so
If MOT tester questions the cars validity your answer I gues is that it was registered correctly as a Cortina Sport with DVLA and has been MOT'd ever since
your beauford will be fine. it has been registered for years and years.
A new one would under current rules be registered as
Make: Ford
Model: "anything you choose" as long as not offensive etc.
My RS200 rep is a "Toyota, RS200 replica." I could have had a "Toyota, Sports" or "Toyota, Tribute" "Toyota, Rally" "Toyota, 3000X Hulahoop"
A new one would under current rules be registered as
Make: Ford
Model: "anything you choose" as long as not offensive etc.
My RS200 rep is a "Toyota, RS200 replica." I could have had a "Toyota, Sports" or "Toyota, Tribute" "Toyota, Rally" "Toyota, 3000X Hulahoop"
PaulKemp said:
Until SVA was introduced in mid 70's
Not sure where you got this info, the Single Vehicle Approval scheme was officially announced on 12th December 1996 by the then Road Safety Minister John Bowis. The rules were finally implemented on the 1st July 1998. Prior to that exemption from type approval was allowed to private individuals building cars for themselves and thus amateur builders were allowed to register their cars.Edited by NPR on Wednesday 5th March 17:02
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