Bicester Heritage hosts government launch of classic car consultation

The government has launched a new consultation on regulation for classic cars, and how the £18bn industry can be boosted.

They are looking for views on how vintage cars can be preserved, whilst jobs in the sector are increased.

Since the 1980s, policies on how classics are registered and upgraded have remained largely unchanged.

Transport secretary Mark Harper made the announcement at classic-car business hub Bicester Heritage on Thursday.

Mr Harper said: "The way we restore and protect classic cars has not kept up with the times and evolving technologies, which is why we are calling for industry and enthusiasts to have their say on how to best protect these British classics for decades to come."

"It is really important from an economic perspective, but also it's really important for the reputation and the brand of the United Kingdom and we want those companies to be developing the technology here. Not just for the UK, but to export around the world," the minister added.

In attendance at the announcement was Steve Drummond, director of Kidlington based company Electrogenic - which specializes in converting classic cars into electric vehicles.

He said: "There are 1.4m pre-2015 Land Rovers still driving around in the world - you only have to scrape a small percentage of that and make them electric - the market is massive."

Drivers, classic car enthusiasts and industry experts are being asked to share their proposals to help historic vehicles into the 21st century - while prioritising road safety and retaining accurate vehicle records. 

Potential changes include fitting classics with electric powertrains and making car registration that recognises the vehicles full value easier.

The classic car industry currently employs around 113,000 skilled people and is worth £18 billion a year in the UK.

One of those employees is Alfie Pewer, a mechanic at Bicester Heritage. He said: "If you drive one of these [a classic car] compared to a modern car, it is night and day."

"You can really feel connected to what you're doing - whereas a modern car almost feels like it's doing it for you," he added.

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