Wheeler Dealers host Mike Brewer backs major car tax change that could benefit thousands of Brit drivers
WHEELER Dealers host Mike Brewer has backed a major car tax change which could benefit thousands of British drivers.
The star said he “supported” the proposed move, which has begun to gather steam after a new petition saw a surge in signatures.
Over 7,000 people have signed the call to save many motorists hundreds of pounds by tweaking the rules for road tax on classic cars.
The petition calls on Parliament to reduce the vehicle excise duty (VED) paid on cars between 20 and 40 years old.
Clair Knight, who wrote the proposal, stated: “There are vehicles within the 20 to 40-year age bracket that are well-loved, modern classics and without a reduction in tax, we may see these vehicles disappear from our roads.
“As the owner of a 20-year-old modern classic, which is seldom driven more than 1000 miles a year, I have just had my Vehicle Tax reminder though and even if I were to SORN the vehicle for 6 months of the year, it would still cost me £180 for 6 months.
“I like to take advantage of the occasional sunny day, year-round, so I must pay £320 for this privilege.”
Now, TV star and renowned classic car enthusiast Mike Brewer has thrown his weight behind the campaign.
In an interview with Classic Car Weekly, he said that he “supports” the proposal and that cars over 20 years old have “paid their dues”.
He went on: “I’ve protested before that a vehicle reaches a time in its life where it’s paid its dues’ there is a switch when a car stops becoming a drain on the state and actually starts contributing to the state, and that’s when a car reaches classic car status.
“I believe that after 20 years, the car starts to become a drain on its owner to keep it roadworthy, therefore supporting industries like mechanics, repair shops, restoration, fabrication and engineering and thereby contributing massively to the country.”
At the moment, a car is considered a “historic vehicle” if it was first registered more than 40 years ago on a rolling basis.
The DVLA estimated that there were 338,000 such vehicles in the UK at the end of 2023.
The agency does not provide figures for how many are over 20 years old, but it would likely be hundreds of thousands more.
As it stands, the petition is more than two-thirds of the way to the 10,000 signature mark required to force the Government to respond.
If it reaches 100,000, Parliament will be required to debate the measure.
It comes after Martin Lewis claimed that Brits could be owed around £480 million amid the brewing car finance compensation scandal.