There is a later expiry date for exclusive sports cars with petrol engines. Classic car owners can breathe a sigh of relief. For the time being, they will remain exempt from the previously agreed EU rules.
For some of their drivers, they are a lifelong dream. Whether it’s a beautiful vintage car or a roaring Ferrari: According to the current status of negotiations on the end of combustion engines in the EU, they will be affected in different ways by European climate protection measures. Although a majority of MEPs advocated exceptions in these areas, the result is currently incomplete and could still be changed in negotiations with the EU Commission and governments.
Although they are recognized as cultural assets worth preserving in most EU countries, vintage cars – whether cars or motorcycles – are not explicitly listed as an exception in the legal text that has been negotiated so far. The same rule applies to them as to older passenger cars and light trucks. Vehicles registered before 2035 can still be operated with petrol or diesel afterwards. This was enough for the negotiators to speak of solved problems for classic car owners. Of course, there is still a catch to this global regulation: It gives the national states leeway to decide for themselves on the implementation of new emission regulations for these vehicles in the future.
There is also room for interpretation when it comes to the new or re-registration of older vehicles. They are necessary, for example, for imported classic cars. In Austria there is also a separate registration for “historical vehicles” from the age of 30 years. The old-timers can then only be operated for a maximum of 120 days a year, in return they benefit from simplifications, for example with regard to insurance or the § 57a inspection.