Peter Galilee - The Knowledge

Peter won’t let the classic car MoT exemption issue lie, heads east for a Chinese takeaway, then ends up having a singsong with a video and bingeing on birthday parties

While writing last issue’s column about upcoming legislation that will introduce the category of VHI (Vehicle of Historic Interest) I talked to quite a few old-vehicle owners. Most were appalled that MoT requirements were to be further loosened. Then I asked: did they always MoT their own vehicles? Well, it seems that what with one thing and another, and since it wasn’t mandatory, some of them just hadn’t got around to it. Then, having found the sky didn’t fall in, they haven’t bothered with MoTs since.

All these people were slightly embarrassed, feeling a bit guilty and so on. But the plain fact is this: despite saying that classic vehicles should be MoT’d, they don’t MoT their own.

Asking further questions was worrying too. Were they sure their cars were up to MoT standard? Yes, most were very confident. So, a question: when did they last slam on the brakes, full on? Most answered that they hadn’t done that for ages – they prided themselves on driving carefully, etc. So, I wondered – how could they know their brakes are fully efficient? They can’t, can they?

Of course, that’s what an MoT test will tell you – with individual braking readings for each wheel. Not something a DIY mechanic can evaluate. These old-car owners were confident their vehicle was up to MoT standard – but really, they had no idea.