By Tom Brett
1st April 2020

Top 5 Cars That Are MOT Exempt



I recently made an article explaining how you should check your car during covid-19. If you are worried about keeping your car roadworthy then it is definitely worth a read.

Current government laws state that if a car’s date of registration is over 40 years, a mandatory MOT test is not required, although you are not allowed to be driving a dangerous vehicle so it is paramount that you keep on top of the condition and all aspects of your ride.

Let’s say you are adept at servicing and maintaining your vehicle, and you don’t feel the need to go the MOT garage every year. Here are some MOT exempt cars that are now 40 years old for you to drive around, enjoy, and keep yourself busy with maintenance and care.


Jaguar XJS

The XJS is unquestionably, a beautiful looking car, but questionably reliable. The V-12 engine sounds amazing, whilst you are treated with a low and wide ride. The British stunner is not without faults, and if you are in the market for one, check if the engine runs smoothly and not moving around. Take your choosing with either a soft or hard top. Look for one that has a good service history and documentation of mechanical works. A total of 14,800 Pre H.E. models were made and are commanding a high price in the market at the moment with five-figure sums.

Triumph TR7

This is definitely one of the best cars of the 1970’s. Incredibly stylish and lightweight, and with the 2.0L four-cylinder engine, it looks incredibly fun to drive. There are some optimistic prices out there but it is definitely worth a look for a fair example for a good value.

Porsche 914

Probably one of my favourite cars at the moment. I really badly want to own one of these one day as its quirky looks makes you love or hate it. The satisfaction of me knowing people hate it whilst I enjoy myself manoeuvring this joyful chassis around will give me some kind of mental gratification, does that sound weird? If I owned one, I’d stick a racing livery of some sort on it, perhaps even a marmite one, would still look pretty cool… I think.

BMW 02 Series

Another stunner of a car. Produced throughout the 1970’s, they just look like an absolute class piece of manufacturing. The essence of beauty in what would be then, an everyday comfortable ride is completely lost in cars of today in my opinion. Chrome parts littered the exterior until the ’70s models until we were treated with the 2002 model. And let’s not forget the Cult Classic 2002 Turbo.

Mazda RX-7

First arriving at dealerships in the late ’70s, it is one of the best all-round sports coupés of its era. Again, lightweight and a beautiful sound from the engine, this car was designed to have fun in with incredible weight distribution.


There you have it, my brief explanations for the top 5 MOT exempt cars out there. Some are relatively cheap to purchase and maintain, given they have been cared for in the past. The also look incredibly fun to drive and I would feel honoured in being able to drive any of them one day.

Let me know what you think are the best MOT exempt cars from your experiences have been and let us know how easy or challenging they are to maintain for the road!

 

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