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HCVA SEEKS GOVERNMENT ASSURANCE OVER LEGISLATION

With 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 Insignia range is being phased out, marking the end of an era for the firm. The company no longer has a D-segment saloon, hatch or estate on sale – a sector of the market it first entered in 1975 with the Cavalier.

Two generations of Insignia have been produced, the original being launched in 2008 to replace the second-generation Vectra. The first of the Vectras arrived in 1995, bringing a new name to a successful line-up that by then had comprised three different generations of Cavalier.

The recent switch to SUVs and the dominance of premium German brands in the family saloon/hatch sector have meant plummeting sales for D-segment models from mainstream brands. Production of the Mondeo ceased early this year, and the Vauxhall Insignia is about to follow suit – although the virtually identical Opel Insignia will remain on sale elsewhere in Europe for some time yet.