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HCVA SEEKS GOVERNMENT ASSURANCE OVER LEGISLATION
W
ith the government developing a Future of Transport programme to create the rules enabling new developments in transport over the next few decades, the Historic & Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA) has entered discussions to ensure that the UK’s classic vehicle industry isn’t adversely affected by any changes. The proposal is likely to include new regulations on tampering, specifically aimed at the modification of cars to bypass environmental and safety systems. But an initial statement from the HCVA revealed the organisation’s main concern: “As written, the proposals might have also prevented modifications to modernise, restore or preserve current and classic vehicles. They would also have threatened businesses that work in the sector, making it harder to get the hardware and software they need, and to learn the skills to use them.” A petition to safeguard the UK’s classic industry in this way attracted 115,000 signatures, resulting in the latest parliamentary debate involving input from the HCVA. The debate was opened on behalf of the petitioner,
Gareth James, by Nicholas Fletcher MP, who talked about custom cars, racing and modifications. James Sunderland MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Motorsport, spoke about the importance of the historic and classic sector and the threats that this proposal could pose if it isn’t handled carefully – both to current classics and to modern cars that will become classics of the future. He suggested that, should the government go ahead with the bill, specific exemptions are made for owners and businesses in the historic and classic sector. Since then, the HCVA’s consultation with the government has brought extra clarity to the proposals: “The government clarified that it does not want the rules to impact classics, motorsport or their industries, using language very similar to our response. However, the HCVA feels that the regulations might still go too far.” Responding to the recent debate for Labour, the Shadow Transport Minister, Mike Kane, talked about the need to enforce existing rules on anti-social modifications. He was broadly supportive of the need for controls on tampering,
provided the government does protect the industries. For the government, Minister Trudy Harrison insisted that there was a need for the tampering rules, specifically stating an example around the dangers of tampering with software on future autonomous vehicles – although she emphasised that the government was listening to concerns and the need to protect current, classic and motorsport vehicles, and would publish details for proposals in the summer. The HCVA’s CEO, Garry Wilson, says his organisation will remain involved in the process and will continue to study the detail: “We monitor all such proposals and whatever legislation comes from them and, through our work in parliament, make sure the interests of our sector are protected,” he said “We need to ensure that any future legislation takes into account the interests of the classic vehicle industry, which has an annual turnover of over £18 billion in the UK and supports around 113,000 jobs in thousands of small businesses and supply chain firms.” For further information on the organisation, go online to hcva.co.uk.
END OF AN ERA FOR VAUXHALL Vauxhall has announced that its current
different generations of Cavalier.
Insignia range is being phased out,
The recent switch to SUVs and the
marking the end of an era for the firm.
dominance of premium German brands in
The company no longer has a D-segment
the family saloon/hatch sector have meant
saloon, hatch or estate on sale – a sector
plummeting sales for D-segment models
of the market it first entered in 1975 with
from mainstream brands. Production of
the Cavalier.
the Mondeo ceased early this year, and
Two generations of Insignia have been
the Vauxhall Insignia is about to follow
produced, the original being launched in
suit – although the virtually identical Opel
2008 to replace the second-generation
1995, bringing a new name to a successful
Insignia will remain on sale elsewhere in
Vectra. The first of the Vectras arrived in
line-up that by then had comprised three
Europe for some time yet.
6 July 2022
