black and white plate regulations for MOT

[kitesurfer2]

I failed MOT today on my 1973 911T because of the silver and black aluminium number plates.
Even after being shown the DVLA blog where the DVLA say they are now legal on cars over 40 years old, the garage were adamant "The computer says no!"
They even phoned the body that oversees MOT regs and were told NO- any car built on or after 1st Jan 1973 must have modern plates.
Has anyone else experienced this?
It seems that the two Government appointed bodies are saying different things.

[Bruce M]

No surprise....

The Mot regs might say no but the law appears to have an unintended loop hole. The loop hole may be closed at some point but (allegedly) it is legal for road use at the moment.

So you could fit a set of standard plates to pass the Mot and swap to the black set if you are confident that you can't be fined under the current legislation.

[kitesurfer2]

Not really a loophole if the DVLA says B+W plates are legal on cars registered as Historic, that surely is the law.

On that basis the MOT regulations are wrong. I wonder if it is possible to appeal?

[kitesurfer2]

Here is the link, makes interesting reading and clearly states that B+W plates can be used on up to 1975 cars that have been registered as historic:-

https://insidedvla.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/ ... er-plates/

Yet I have been unable to get an MOT with them on! Has anyone else tried yet?

[Bruce M]

I hadn't seen the blog entry. That seems very clear. I had read all the legislation and thought it was weak and unintended. Perhaps someone tested it in court and the precedent has been set.

The Mot should follow suit... However, I'm still not surprised that it hasn't :D

[hot66]

Here is the link, makes interesting reading and clearly states that B+W plates can be used on up to 1975 cars that have been registered as historic:-

https://insidedvla.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/ ... er-plates/

Yet I have been unable to get an MOT with them on! Has anyone else tried yet?

Find a different mot man who isn't an arse....

[Bruce M]

The DVLA still haven't updated their "leaflet" (I.e. Guidance on the legislation) . It was last updated in October and still says before 1973.

[Green Ernie]

Here is the link, makes interesting reading and clearly states that B+W plates can be used on up to 1975 cars that have been registered as historic:-

https://insidedvla.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/ ... er-plates/

Yet I have been unable to get an MOT with them on! Has anyone else tried yet?

Great news and thanks for the info, I wanted black and silver plates but thought the cut off date was 1973. My 914 was built in September 1974 and model year 1975 as stated on my Porsche COA, which DVLA will take as evidence. I shall now buy a pair of black and silver plates and stick the newly purchased yellow and white plates on the man cave wall.

[Nick Moss]

Here is the link, makes interesting reading and clearly states that B+W plates can be used on up to 1975 cars that have been registered as historic:-

https://insidedvla.blog.gov.uk/2015/11/ ... er-plates/

Yet I have been unable to get an MOT with them on! Has anyone else tried yet?

Great news and thanks for the info, I wanted black and silver plates but thought the cut off date was 1973. My 914 was built in September 1974 and model year 1975 as stated on my Porsche COA, which DVLA will take as evidence. I shall now buy a pair of black and silver plates and stick the newly purchased yellow and white plates on the man cave wall.

Make sure that you have changed the taxation class to "Historic".

I have MOTed a few customer cars fitted with black plates even though they were backdated 80s cars, so a lot is down to the tester .

[kitesurfer2]

My '73 car is already listed as Historic.
After much too-ing and frow-ing today between the DVLA and the DVSA, I finally got them to issue my MOT.
The DVSA told me I would have to get written permission from the DVLA to fit B+W plates, but when I asked DVLA for permission, they just refered me back to the DVSA..

Eventually several expensive phone calls late,r I got a call back from someone higher up in DVSA to say that their advice was wrong and they phoned the MOT station and instructed them to pass the car-
RESULT!
I suspect this will cause mayhem if everyone with historic tax vehicles between '73 and '75 fits B+W plates. Previously it was a fixed date prior to 1st Jan 1973, now it is on a rolling 40 year basis it appears the MOT regulating body had not told the MOT stations in the normal way because it is a Road traffic act or some such rubbish.

Anyway, this does seem to have set a precedent, so now it seems cars up to '75 can legally have black and silver plates.
Doesn't seem right to see early impact bumpers with them though does it!

[redrobin911]

My '73 car is already listed as Historic.
After much too-ing and frow-ing today between the DVLA and the DVSA, I finally got them to issue my MOT.
The DVSA told me I would have to get written permission from the DVLA to fit B+W plates, but when I asked DVLA for permission, they just refered me back to the DVSA..

Eventually several expensive phone calls late,r I got a call back from someone higher up in DVSA to say that their advice was wrong and they phoned the MOT station and instructed them to pass the car-
RESULT!
I suspect this will cause mayhem if everyone with historic tax vehicles between '73 and '75 fits B+W plates. Previously it was a fixed date prior to 1st Jan 1973, now it is on a rolling 40 year basis it appears the MOT regulating body had not told the MOT stations in the normal way because it is a Road traffic act or some such rubbish.

Anyway, this does seem to have set a precedent, so now it seems cars up to '75 can legally have black and silver plates.
Doesn't seem right to see early impact bumpers with them though does it!

Well i'm going to put them on my '74 carrera........

[Bruce M]

Well done for persevering

Hopefully this will trigger an amendment to the MOT manual or some form of guidance note.

[Tosh]

Having just re chromed the bumpers on the Pagoda, I didn't want to put a nasty stone chipped plate back on so have been looking for a replacement. Classic Plates/Polar Automotive in Tonbridge are listing b/w plates as "pre-1975" and I doubt are alone.
However, as you found out, the MOT/DVSA/DVLA are hardly talking to each other! Well done for pursuing it. However, I reckon for most folk, the rolling 41 won't lead to an ongoing rash of b/w plates. On something like a mini or 911, perhaps for those not concoursing, but for a 924 or xjs? Period was the nice yellow ones...I think in the main there's a pretty natural cutoff of about 1975

[C3s]

I used to run my '88 mk4 Escort van on ali black n silver plates and never got stopped so you'll definitely be ok!

[myatt1972]

Never been pulled in this but my MOT man does wince a bit