Vintage Cars, but a new set of rules

The Central Government sets new rules for vintage cars.

● Vintage cars could get a new registration number and certificate.● The cost of a new RC is Rs 20,000 and will be valid for ten years.● Vintage cars are not for regular or commercial usage.

The Central Government had announced in November 2020 that it would come up with a new set of rules governing vintage cars. A vintage car or a 2-wheeler is one that is more than 50 years old, calculated from the original first registration date.

The Government proposes issuing a new set of numbers for such vehicles. However, the owner is mandated to provide the following evidence.

A. The vintage vehicle’s valid insurance policy.B. The old registration certificate if the vehicle has an Indian registration.C. The bill of entry if the vehicle had been imported.

The new registration will cost Rs 20000 and will come with 10-year validity. Each subsequent renewal will be for five years and cost Rs 5000. In addition, the vintage cars will get a new registration number in the format, "XX VA YY NNNN,” where XX stands for the respective state, VA denotes Vintage vehicle, YY is the regular two-letter series, followed by a four-digit number.

Besides, the Government has allowed the resale and purchase of vintage cars. However, the concerned parties should inform the respective RTOs within 90 days of the transaction.

The Government has tweaked the old laws by stating that the vintage vehicle will not be available for regular or commercial use. However, the draft does not explicitly state what constitutes regular use. Generally, vintage car collectors use these cars sparingly and maintain them as a hobby.

Vintage car owners and clubs have welcomed this move of the Government and have asked the Government to provide relief to such vehicles. One of the significant reliefs is that the Government has made the scrappage policy voluntary for such vehicles to benefit the owners of vintage cars.

However, the Government has not made it clear whether the same scrappage rules apply to cars that are not yet 50 years old. It infers from the policy guidelines that the voluntary scrappage clause extends to all vehicles.