Category B VW Golf Rivage
Discussion
In 2003 I purchased a VW Golf Rivage (it was manufactured in 1992)
In 2008 I received a personalised number plate as a gift
I’ve run this car ever since.
As I’m 75 I found the non-powered steering becoming a bit much so decided to sell - luckily through an auction house.
Then - much to my horror - they advised me the car was a category B and had been since 1997.
The car has been on the road since I purchased it. Has a full MOT history (97% pass rate).
Fully insured as a classic car and the DVLA has gratefully accepted my Road Fund Licence payment for the last 20 years.
I cannot get anywhere with the insurance Company - they say they can’t go back that far
The DVLA supplied the details of the Insurance Company who handled the accident claim (EUI/Admiral group) but won’t do anything until the insurance company do
M.I.B have tried to help but given the run around by the insurance company
I know category B should be scrapped - but obviously this didn’t happen and the car has been on the road for the last quarter of a century.
Are there any other avenues that I could use to try to get the category changed
Sorry for the longwinded story - but it’s scary to think what would have happened in the event of an accident - I was completely unsuspecting that the car was in anyway compromised.
In 2008 I received a personalised number plate as a gift
I’ve run this car ever since.
As I’m 75 I found the non-powered steering becoming a bit much so decided to sell - luckily through an auction house.
Then - much to my horror - they advised me the car was a category B and had been since 1997.
The car has been on the road since I purchased it. Has a full MOT history (97% pass rate).
Fully insured as a classic car and the DVLA has gratefully accepted my Road Fund Licence payment for the last 20 years.
I cannot get anywhere with the insurance Company - they say they can’t go back that far
The DVLA supplied the details of the Insurance Company who handled the accident claim (EUI/Admiral group) but won’t do anything until the insurance company do
M.I.B have tried to help but given the run around by the insurance company
I know category B should be scrapped - but obviously this didn’t happen and the car has been on the road for the last quarter of a century.
Are there any other avenues that I could use to try to get the category changed
Sorry for the longwinded story - but it’s scary to think what would have happened in the event of an accident - I was completely unsuspecting that the car was in anyway compromised.
You have no chance of an insurer having records going back that long. There is no reasonable cause to retain it for so long and in reality they wouldn’t be allowed to if it contained any customer data, which it almost certainly would.
Furthermore, they aren’t going to change a marker two decades later down the line.
Furthermore, they aren’t going to change a marker two decades later down the line.
It is only recently that Cat B cars have been prevented from returning to road use in the UK, so you car in theory will be fine if you can find a buyer. The DVLA cannot apply the new rules retrospectively.
Just why someone would have gone to the trouble for such an ordinary car back then is another question. Usually they are burned out or a bio hazard from flooding etc.
More typically they are rebuilt usually parts of dubious origin!
An F40 owner has recently succeeded in getting his example back onto the UK roads having been a Cat B many years ago.
Just why someone would have gone to the trouble for such an ordinary car back then is another question. Usually they are burned out or a bio hazard from flooding etc.
More typically they are rebuilt usually parts of dubious origin!
An F40 owner has recently succeeded in getting his example back onto the UK roads having been a Cat B many years ago.
The marker / CAT declaration would have been on the V5 when purchased originally - this would have disappeared when you applied the personalised reg though as it was a bit of an anomaly until somewhat recently when applying a private plate.
TBH though anyone looking at purchasing would be more interested in knowing its recent history etc. than a 20+yr old anomaly that may or may not be correct.
TBH though anyone looking at purchasing would be more interested in knowing its recent history etc. than a 20+yr old anomaly that may or may not be correct.
categories are made up by insurance companies.
you could put a cat b back on the road, it was never illegal. there are a few examples of it, insurance companies would have tried to prevent it, no one else.
if its a mk1 cabriolet sell it to specialist breaker, finding a private buyer maybe tricky, cant imagine it would be easy to insure if declared.
you could put a cat b back on the road, it was never illegal. there are a few examples of it, insurance companies would have tried to prevent it, no one else.
if its a mk1 cabriolet sell it to specialist breaker, finding a private buyer maybe tricky, cant imagine it would be easy to insure if declared.
PAUL.S. said:
It is only recently that Cat B cars have been prevented from returning to road use in the UK, so you car in theory will be fine if you can find a buyer. The DVLA cannot apply the new rules retrospectively.
Just why someone would have gone to the trouble for such an ordinary car back then is another question. Usually they are burned out or a bio hazard from flooding etc.
More typically they are rebuilt usually parts of dubious origin!
An F40 owner has recently succeeded in getting his example back onto the UK roads having been a Cat B many years ago.
normal to an f40 owner granted but the rivage was a runout model for the mk1 golf gti cab and quite desirable to some folkJust why someone would have gone to the trouble for such an ordinary car back then is another question. Usually they are burned out or a bio hazard from flooding etc.
More typically they are rebuilt usually parts of dubious origin!
An F40 owner has recently succeeded in getting his example back onto the UK roads having been a Cat B many years ago.
Can you not get PAS retro fitted with parts from a Golf that came with it back then or maybe even have a modern ePAS system added ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX3Qycs5awM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX3Qycs5awM
President Merkin said:
Driver101 said:
I doubt many people can so easily throw away thousands of pounds.
It's a J reg Cat B nail. How much do you reckon it owes the guy?a similar one sold recently for 20k and most seem to be advertised at 10k plus
Edited by BenEK9 on Monday 21st August 13:13
J4CKO said:
Can you not get PAS retro fitted with parts from a Golf that came with it back then or maybe even have a modern ePAS system added ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX3Qycs5awM
I was going to suggest the same thing as the mk1 Gti convertibles had such heavy steering at parking speeds a modern elec conversion would be a good upgrade probably around £1 k to dohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX3Qycs5awM
https://www.deutschedoktors.co.uk/our-services/ele...
President Merkin said:
Driver101 said:
I doubt many people can so easily throw away thousands of pounds.
It's a J reg Cat B nail. How much do you reckon it owes the guy?It's obvious why the OP is trying to find out what has happened before scrapping it off.
Thanks for all your replies - much appreciated.
I’m still working through the M.I.B but have lost faith to be honest.
My problem is really that I would declare its category when getting insurance, which is why I’m trying to get the insurance company to at least consider reviewing the marker.
The car was owned by 6 people prior to my buying it and it was a labour of love to get it where it is today. There was nothing on the V5C to indicate there was a problem.
I’ve driven car all over the country and in Europe without incident and unfortunately very attached to it. If I manage to get anywhere I will go the route of a power steering system and keep it.
I’m still working through the M.I.B but have lost faith to be honest.
My problem is really that I would declare its category when getting insurance, which is why I’m trying to get the insurance company to at least consider reviewing the marker.
The car was owned by 6 people prior to my buying it and it was a labour of love to get it where it is today. There was nothing on the V5C to indicate there was a problem.
I’ve driven car all over the country and in Europe without incident and unfortunately very attached to it. If I manage to get anywhere I will go the route of a power steering system and keep it.
Why did it not flag up when insurance was being renewed or purchased, I thought that was the purpose of these markers?
You'd wonder how they could stipulate that the car can't be driven now when you've been driving, taxing, insuring and mot'ing it all these years.
Hope it is resolved to your satisfaction. The electic pas is a good option to allow you to keep using a car you are obviously very attached to.
You'd wonder how they could stipulate that the car can't be driven now when you've been driving, taxing, insuring and mot'ing it all these years.
Hope it is resolved to your satisfaction. The electic pas is a good option to allow you to keep using a car you are obviously very attached to.
It’s what I couldn’t understand
I thought at the very least it would have surfaced when the new number plate was purchased and the car was re-registered.
It seems all the responsibility lays with the owner. Everyone is happy to take the insurance/mot/road fund licence until something goes wrong.
Thank you though - appreciate your comments
I thought at the very least it would have surfaced when the new number plate was purchased and the car was re-registered.
It seems all the responsibility lays with the owner. Everyone is happy to take the insurance/mot/road fund licence until something goes wrong.
Thank you though - appreciate your comments
We have already taken the car off the road and yes, you’re right, the onus is on us to declare the marker which we have done and as a result we are unable to insure the car.
There doesn’t seem to be much hope I’m afraid - only if the insurance company would be willing to re-categorise and we can’t get a reasonable conversation with them.
There doesn’t seem to be much hope I’m afraid - only if the insurance company would be willing to re-categorise and we can’t get a reasonable conversation with them.
When did the Cat. B must be scrapped rule come in?
How many insurers have you insured it with? Any mileage in contacting previous insurers and telling them it's been Cat B. since 1997 and there's been no issues and would they consider insuring it now?
Rob of Rob and Chris of the YouTube channel Salvage Rebuilds UK did a video where they took a previously categorised car to a test centre to get the category cleared, unless I am misremembering it. The video may be about getting a categorised car checked before putting it back on the road and selling it.
If the car is straight and safe is getting the car checked at a test centre and getting it recategorised a possibility?
How many insurers have you insured it with? Any mileage in contacting previous insurers and telling them it's been Cat B. since 1997 and there's been no issues and would they consider insuring it now?
Rob of Rob and Chris of the YouTube channel Salvage Rebuilds UK did a video where they took a previously categorised car to a test centre to get the category cleared, unless I am misremembering it. The video may be about getting a categorised car checked before putting it back on the road and selling it.
If the car is straight and safe is getting the car checked at a test centre and getting it recategorised a possibility?
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