There's nothing stopping someone having 2 classics and insuring one as
regular "daily use" car, just won't get classic discount. Even in
Germany could have one insured and taxed as a daily driver but banned
from city center and other as limited use classic that is allowed into
city centers. If you have to go to the city every day, have more, use
a different "classic" every day on a rota and use the "daily use" one
at weekends when you don't have to go to the city.

If you live and work in the city WTF do you need a "daily driver" car
for anyway?

I suppose that's down to interpretation. Footman James simply insist
that you have the use of another (non classic) car as well. They don't
tell you which one you have to drive to work every day.

Chris Bolus <chrisB@RILEYELFb0lus.com> gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying:

It's the definition that FIVA agreed with the German authorities last
year, for the exemption from urban bans on pre/non-Euro-emission-standard
cars.

All they've done is say "Well, this is as good as we're going to get to a
standard definition of 'classic'". Does it fit every situation? No. Is it
better than "built before 1/1/73"? Very probably.

Are you really suggesting that some bastardised heavy rebuild, wrapping
an old shell around modern mechanicals, is "historic"? All those coil-
spring series Landies, "split" Beetles, 602/disk "ripple bonnet" 2cvs.
They're not. They're taking the piss, and putting the current historic
tax class into jeopardy.

I very much doubt that a simple and easily reversible modernisation like
an alternator or radial tyres or electronic ignition will make a car fall
outside these regs.

The "non-daily-use" is certainly more controversial - but classic
insurance will rarely touch daily-use cars, either. <shrug>

Absolutely. I have four Mini variants, all of which are over 30 years
old, and one of which is my daily transport. It's marginally modified -
what Mini isn't? - so why should it not be regarded as historic? My Elf
has also done its share of the daily run, and that _is_ as original bar
the fitment of an alternator. So should the fact that I drive it to work
(last year it was may main vehicle) make it any less historic?

Some of these people just talk b*ll*cks for I living I think.

Anyone seen the latest issue of PC, looks like the FIAI [1] is trying
to define what will be classed as a historic vehicle, it seems to come
down to the vehicle being 30 or more years old, maintained in original
condition (does that mean period extras or how it would have come off
the production line?) and *not* used as the owners main method of
motoring. The point of all this is, whilst we might well think
otherwise the legislators (such as the EU) that this organisation will
have the ear of will make it very important for the future of classic
cars. Whilst I welcome any move to stop people taking a classic car
and 'modernising' it I'm not so sure that these vehicles should be
forced to become all but museum items, there is no reason why a 30
plus year old car can't be used as daily transport and preserved- the
tow are not mutually exclusive!

[1] I think that is who they said, I was only browsing a copy