Classic cars 80's/90's untaxed for over 20+ years then become SORN.

[wilson-uk-85]

I've discovered recently that many vehicles which had been off the road for over 20+ years then become SORN. Here an example from an 80's TV series. A 1986 Renault Master T35D van, tax expired on 01/02/2000 and until very recently this year it's now on SORN, last V5 issued in 1994. This applies to quite a few vehicles while many others remain untaxed for the same period.

 

Does this mean these vehicles potentially are still around and were simply taken off the road (parked up/stored) by the owner then a sorn has been declared as there is plans to recommission them. I know of vehicles that have been scrapped for sure but their registration remains in the DVLA system, my late grandparents car was passed to my uncle after my grandad stopped driving, he owned it until 2004 when it blew up and was scrapped. 

 

My previous car was scrapped and the registration has been deleted from the DVLA database but remains on mot history check. It seems sometimes the registrations are deleted but also remain in the system. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[@Lee]

Hundreds, possibly thousands of cars are kept in storage and never taxed or MoT'd but they'll pop up in TV shows or films.

There's prop companies that own them and make a tidy sum renting out period correct vehicles (and other more mundane items) for TV and film production companies.

My mum used to work for a TV and director - I forget his name, Trevor something I think,

but he made some of the early Herbal Essences shampoo ads (he specialised in water/ underwater filming) and he had a few himself in his barn. One was a mint Citröen DS convertible. Another was an 80s Jeep Wrangler.

 

[J.R.]

10 hours ago, wilson-uk-85 said:

Does this mean these vehicles potentially are still around and were simply taken off the road (parked up/stored) by the owner then a sorn has been declared as there is plans to recommission them.

 

Well they must still be around if they have been put on SORN unless someone is trying to work the system using an old V5 or logbook to transfer a valuable number plate.

 

I dont see why someone would do it if they simply had plans to recommission the vehicle, they would simply do the renovation and then MOT and Tax it, why give themselves the grief of renewing SORN every year and the risk of fines?

 

My Caterham was on SORN and the renewals and risk of fines were a pain although I believe they may have changed the system.

 

My Lotus Elan S4 was last legally on the road in the 80's, I bought it in the 90's and its registered in my name, it has never been on SORN as it was already untaxed for more than a decade when the system came in, a situation that I am more than happy with.

 

If as is likely I will sell it as a renovation project (I have neither the space or the time currently to do it) then the new owner if UK resident would register it in their name and I assume have to declare SORN, this is probably what has happened with the vehicles you speak of showing up after many years of absence.

[Aspman]

I thought you had to Sorn or they fined you for not telling them you don’t need tax.

 

Catching people out was the whole point of sorn wasn’t it?

[skomaz]

It probably was but I haven't been fined when I've forgotten to SORN my MX5...

[J.R.]

2 hours ago, Aspman said:

I thought you had to Sorn or they fined you for not telling them you don’t need tax.

 

Catching people out was the whole point of sorn wasn’t it?

 

It was and remains not applicable to vehicles that were already off the road before the legislation came into affect, which if you think about it is the only way it could have worked.

 

The SORN declaration happens at the end of a licensing period in lieu of renewal, the last licensing period on my Elan would have been around 1980.

[Ootohere]

It is over 20 years since the DVLA told me in writting i was having to pay them a penalty of £1,000 each on 2 vehicles for not declaring as SORN i had that were not ROAD TAXED and then selling them and someone that bought them registering them.  They were write offs that were under repair and did not need to be on a SORN.

They had no right under law at that time to FINE or take a PENALTY Charge or they likes.   They were AT IT. 

[UndertheRadar]

I have two cars declared sorn at the minute. They have been sorn for quite a while. I declared them sorn once, and they remain that way until such times as I want to tax them again. 
 

[J.R.]

Yes I believe it changed at some point to a more obvious less money grabbing system, the old one put the onus on the owner to know they had to renew it every year and to do so within a tight time frame or fines were sent out.

 

Given that you declare the car is off the road and not will be off the road for 12 months or less it was quite obviously a money spinner, it didn't bother me in the slightest for the Caterham, I was in France and they could send as many false fines as they wanted but it freaked out my UK next door neighbour a god fearing type who opened my post for me.