The Council of Ministers approved a new law for historic vehicles. This law updates rules that are 30 years old to align with current European standards. Different countries now treat historic vehicles equally as a result.
This new regulation, introduced by the Ministries of Interior, Industry, and Tourism, is designed to stop Spanish laws from being less favorable than other European countries, which might cause historic vehicles to be moved out of Spain.
The new rules, starting on October 1, ask local councils to adjust their traffic laws so that owners who use their historic vehicles occasionally are allowed to drive them, even in areas with traffic or environmental restrictions.
Vehicles that are more than 60 years old will no longer need regular inspections (ITV). Mopeds classified as historic are completely exempt. However, owners can still choose to have their vehicles inspected voluntarily.
A new feature of the regulation is the creation of Historic Vehicle Technical Services, which will inspect vehicles applying for historic status and issue the necessary reports. These new services will replace the work currently done by regional laboratories.
The regulation also clarifies that mopeds and farm vehicles can be registered as normal vehicles. It defines “occasional use” of a historic vehicle as driving it no more than 96 days a year.
Vehicles must meet at least one of the following conditions to be considered historic:
– They must be at least 30 years old, no longer produced, and in their original condition with no major changes to their main parts. They must also be well-maintained.
– They can also qualify if they are listed in the General Inventory of Movable Assets of Spain’s Historical Heritage, have been declared culturally significant, or have special value because they belonged to a famous person or were part of an important historical event.
The new rules no longer allow collection vehicles to be classified as historic.
There are two ways to classify a historic vehicle under the new law:
1. An “easy” process for vehicles registered in Spain that are over 30 years old, still being driven, and have passed their inspection (ITV).
2. A more complicated process for vehicles that don’t meet these conditions.
The law also sets driving rules for historic vehicles. For example, a speed limit of 80 km/h for those that don’t have front seatbelts by design. Children under 135 cm tall are not allowed to travel in these vehicles on highways unless seatbelts or child safety systems can be installed.
Historic vehicles should only be used occasionally. They cannot be used daily, to reduce their environmental impact. They are also not allowed to be used for public transport, agricultural work, or construction activities.
The government expects the new law to have a positive economic impact by encouraging more professionals and companies to restore historic vehicles and boosting the market for buying and selling them.
