Registering Your Austin Seven
Background
The DVLA require that an application to register a Historic Vehicle is supported by a Club on their V765/1 List of Owners Clubs.
For the past 20 years I have been the person
registered with the DVLA as the Club authenticator for DA7C, so I thought it
might be useful to tell you more about my role and perhaps help you to
understand the process better. Registering a Historic Vehicle is not a DIY job
and any attempt to do so will fail and every detail you have given to the DVLA
will be recorded and compared with any subsequent application and any
differences will have to be explained to their satisfaction! As Club
authenticator I keep up to date with the latest requirements of the DVLA from
information coming from the Newsletters of the FBHVC (Federation of British
Historic Vehicle Clubs) together with mail received direct from the DVLA. I can only
deal with Austin Sevens within the geographic area covered by our Club.
As
the registered signatory for the Club I must adhere strictly to the
process required and cannot get involved in any registration which I
perceive to be irregular.
Cost
Before
looking at the process in detail, you will probably ask how much will
it cost? Each application is considered and personal discretion
may be used to help when a situation is outside of the norm, perhaps
where we need to encourage a young member or because of personal
circumstances. In broad terms if you are a paid up member of DA7C
and fairly local then my involvement might be free of charge.
Further
away a contribution to cover fuel costs will be necessary. If
you are not a member of the Club then it will cost a minimum of £50 (or more if a motor trader) plus fuel costs. If the application is for an original number and you need to obtain an
authenticated copy of local authority archives then
they may charge you between £20
and £40. I have details on how to check if records of your car’s
original registration exist.
If you have to apply for an age related registration, the DVLA will charge you £55 to register your vehicle on the V55/5. I am always happy to give advice to DA7C members who acquire a car that does not have a current registration document.
It is always
better to get advice than to contact the DVLA and also before you pull
the vehicle apart or change its appearance.
Process Detail
An application to register an Austin Seven usually falls into one of two categories:
1) Original Number Claim: If acceptable documentary evidence exists linking your car with a registration number then an application can be made to retain that number on a non-transferable basis. If you acquire a car with a number plate and no documentary evidence exists to link that car with the plate you will not be able to retain the registration.
Claiming Original Registration Number
You will need documentary evidence to link the registration to your car i.e.
* Original old style log book
OR
*
Certified archive or library record linking the
registration to your chassis number
The
car needs to be substantially complete and can be unrestored. You will
need a 45 degree front/side photo and the same back/side preferably
showing the number plates if you have them.
You
will also need a close up photo of the chassis number on the chassis
and engine number. Further to this you will want a photocopy of
the documentary evidence you are providing. I need to visit and
inspect the vehicle and I will provide you with the latest version
of the V765 ( Application to register a vehicle under its
original number) and a V55/5 ( Application to register a used
motor vehicle )
When I visit, I will inspect the car and confirm that the chassis number is genuine
and as shown in the documentary evidence and photos and that it has
enough main item running gear to be substantially the correct car for
which the application is being made. Using the Austin Motor
Co. tables in the back of Wyatt’s “Book of The Austin Seven” I will
check the date of manufacture against the chassis number and using
other lists ensure that the registration claimed was issued at that
time. Having completed the Club Inspection and Dating Form we
will then work together to complete the V765 and the V55/5.
Using the registered Club Stamp I will date, sign and authenticate where necessary the following:
*
Photos of the car and chassis and engine numbers
*
Dating source detail
*
Copies of any linking documentation (do not send any original documentary
evidence to the DVLA as it can get lost)
*
V765 section 5
Finally
all the documentation will be sent in an A4 envelope to the
correct postcode for the department concerned obtaining proof of
posting.
Age Related Application
If
no documentation exists linking your car to a registration plate then
it is necessary to apply for an age related registration. There
are some major differences in the process as follows:
*
The vehicle needs to be roadworthy
*
The vehicle needs to be insured on its chassis number.
*
A V112 Exemption from MOT
needs to be completed
*
There is a DVLA charge of £55 associated with the V55/5
* No V765 will be completed.
The car will still need photos, inspection and dating.
Conclusion and Disclaimer
Having
read this article I think you will agree with the FBHVC that
registering a Historic Vehicle is definitely not a DIY job! The
above article was written for the members of Dorset Austin Seven Club
and so I would ask it is not reproduced by other Clubs as it may not
reflect the
process used by their authenticator.
There are other variations of process to
cover
unusual circumstances and it is not practical to cover all of these
within this article and I am unable to enter into correspondence about
any of the content of this article.
Phil Whitter DVLA registered authenticator for DA7C