Help!
The collectible motor vehicle community needs your help. ASAP!
Its simple. The rules are not written for the collectible motor vehicle industry – an industry (or passion) that contributes $16.5 billion to the NZ economy. It suffers from rules written for the Daily Driver industry – import of used, late model cars primarily from Japan.
Why?
Collectible motor vehicles are not a part of the transport system. They are a hobby, a passion or an avocation. Modern New Zealand was built on motor vehicles, and this history is being preserved by 200,000 amateurs who invest time and significant money for the pleasure of it.
As an industry, it does not ask for government subsidies, but only to eliminate regulations that are not fit for purpose. The rules on importing cars are not written for collectibles, but serve as a major obstacle. Same with WOF rules.
Rules not fit for purpose: Collectibles as collateral damage
TERMS
- Daily Driver (DD): A new or used motor vehicle used to accomplish the chores of daily life, including commuting, shopping, recreation, transporting children and others who do not drive, as well as commercial use. Daily drivers are transport vehicles mostly sold by the motor trade.
- Collectible: Classic, vintage, historic, antique, modified, sports, muscle, special interest vehicles all have one thing in common – they are collectible and their owners are collectors. They are not driven to accomplish the mundane chores of daily life, they are driven for enjoyment. Collectables are not sold by the motor trade. Most are bought and sold by enthusiasts, with a few specialists dealing in the high end of the market. Our focus is solely on collectibles.
PROBLEM
VIN and WOF: The NZTA Regulations for first-import inspection (VIN) and six-month warrant of fitness (WOF) are written for the motor trade that sells daily drivers. The VIN becomes a barrier to feeding the ecosystem of collectible vehicles by creating unreasonable charges and obstacles that are starving a $16.5 billion industry that represents one of the largest part of NZ’s living history.
The VIN is to keep cowboy importers from bringing in crash and water damaged vehicles they represent as good. The 3-year WOF for new cars is to enable new car dealers to sell more new cars, as their buyers trade them in to not be bothered with the year-3 WOF. The 6-month WOF for older cars – and now the motor trade lobbying to make it a rolling cutoff – covers cars outside the used-car dealer market. It is not based on any evidence correlated with death, injury or property damage; it is driven by the pecuniary interest of the motor trade.
SOLUTION
First time VIN: Remove for collectible cars 30+ years since manufacture. Replace with Certified FOMC inspection that is fit for purpose.
WOF: Eliminate 6 month WOF (no evidence it prevents death, injury, damage). 1 year WOF to age 30. Five-year WOF to age 40. WOF exempt on 40+ (but police can order WOF at any time on suspicion of safety concerns).
RE-VIN: Eliminate on lapsed rego. Issue Rego on lapsed after passes WOF. Keep in system for 10 years.
HOTROD: Invite specialist clubs to develop suitable rules for approving safe modifications
TAX: Eliminate the road user tax on collectible cars (in rego or RUC)
Example: The life cycle of a collectible
All collectible cars begin as new cars. Some are lost to crashes, corrosion or sufficient depreciation to not merit repair. They end up in the crusher. This Alfa Romeo 105 Spider began in Italy. It was shipped and sold new in the United States. In 1980, it was involved in a crash. At 11 years old, it was almost scrapped. It was not yet a collectible, just an old damaged car. It was saved from an early death by the President of the New England Alfa Romeo Club who had it fully restored as a road rally car. It was also repainted a different colour. It was later sold and the 4th owner neglected it – at risk once again, the fifth owner began a surface restoration. New paint, refurbishment of mechanicals as needed.
In 1997, the fifth owner, shipped it to New Zealand under the migrant concession. While it was in presentable condition, the usual corrosion typical of Italian cars of that era merited a complete restoration. NZ had some of the world’s top restorers and one of them had made a series of original pattern floor panels to restore the floor to its original design.
The new OEM equivalent floors, sills and guards were welded in by a top Auckland restoration shop (now closed). However, while that was underway, the rules changed with a rule requiring any evidence of repair or under seal was an automatic fail, requiring it go to a repair certifier.
The certifier required invasive inspection that would require cutting apart the new work, high-pressure water-blasting of all protective coatings and an estimate of $10,000 when there was clearly nothing unsafe about the car. Instead the owner took it home in 2003, where it has remained parked since.
If the regulations are not changed, in 2025, it will be listed on bringatrailer.com, sold and shipped to the northern hemisphere. NZ will have lost one more collectible.