93 Days and Counting. Time to Tell Candidates Why You Signed the Historic & Classic Vehicle Petition

Tomorrow, the three-month regulated election period begins. While we do not consider your petition update to be political promotion, we are sending this email today so there can be no question.

There is an election coming. That is the one time every candidate is interested in what voters have to say. Regardless of party, if a candidate speaks in your area, attend, raise your hand, and ask about NZ's historic and classic vehicles.

Last year, almost 10,000 of us signed a petition calling on the Minister of Transport to change the rules affecting NZ's historic and classic vehicles. That petition was presented to the Hon Chris Bishop, who used his powers under section 152 of the Land Transport Act to introduce annual WoFs for vehicles over 40 years old, and then to abolish the six-monthly WoF requirement entirely.

That was a significant achievement, but it was only the beginning.

The NZ Federation of Motoring Clubs' Historic Vehicle Survey found that the collectible vehicle sector is worth more than $16.5 billion, comprises more than 369,000 historic and classic vehicles that are owned by over 200,000 Kiwis.

NZTA's middle name is Transport.

Historic and classic vehicles are not transport vehicles. They share the same roads, but they exist for preservation, heritage and enjoyment, not transport.

Because NZTA does not recognise that distinction, it blindly applies transport fleet rules to collectible vehicles, forcing owners to abandon restorations, closing specialist businesses, and consigning countless historic vehicles to the scrapyard.

On a forum recently, we read a Kiwi collector asking whether his project car was worth restoring. The almost universal advice was: "If it's still on rego hold, restore it. If the rego has lapsed, part it out."

Why?

Because if it is on rego hold, it only has to pass a WoF. But if the rego has lapsed, a whole new set of rules applies, including VIRM 3-4, which requires a vehicle to be referred to a Specialist Repair Certifier if there are signs of repair, rust prevention, acid wash or undersealing to parts of the vehicle structure.

For a late-model used import, VIRM 3-4 is proper, because the rule was written to catch out cowboy importers of overseas insurance write-offs. But for a historic or classic vehicle newly imported into NZ, or one already here whose NZ rego has lapsed, "signs" of repair, rust prevention or undersealing do not mean it is unsafe. To the contrary, they are signs of a good restoration. But because NZTA’s rules made no distinction, once referred, collectors commonly face invasive blasting, cutting and five-figure refinishing costs simply to prove it is safe. Instead, many are scrapped, and another piece of NZ's motoring history is lost. Rules such as VIRM 3-4 are essential for the transport fleet, but devastating to the collectible vehicle industry.

When the law encourages the destruction of our motoring heritage rather than its preservation, Parliament needs to ask why.

NZ's collectible vehicle community is well organised through respected national clubs and organisations. We are not asking for lower safety standards. We are asking for rules that recognise the difference between the transport fleet and the collectible vehicle industry.

But only elected representatives can drive that change. NZTA exists to regulate transport. The collectible vehicle industry lies outside that remit, so it will never become a priority unless Parliament makes it one. If the Minister instructs NZTA to work with the collectible vehicle community, together we can develop proposals that protect both public safety and NZ's motoring heritage.

We encourage you to raise this issue during the election campaign. It does not matter which party a candidate represents. What matters is that every future MP understands that NZ's collectible vehicle community numbers over 200,000 Kiwis and expects to be heard. Speak up. Write letters to the editor. Email your candidates. Become the squeaky wheel.

If you get the chance to ask a question, remember that you have about 30 seconds to hook the candidate before they mentally move on, or the audience - who probably does not share your passion for historic and classic vehicles - starts to grumble because you are making a speech instead of asking a question.

Use those first 30 seconds to establish that this is not a niche hobby but a significant part of the NZ economy. A $16.5 billion sector gets politicians' attention, and 200,000 Kiwi collectors represent a constituency larger than the number of votes needed to cross Parliament's 5% MMP threshold at the last election.

First, tell the candidate you signed the petition, and that almost 10,000 other Kiwis signed it too.

Then quote the NZ Federation of Motoring Clubs' Historic Vehicle Survey, which found a $16.5 billion economic footprint comprising more than 369,000 historic and classic vehicles owned by over 200,000 Kiwis. The candidate will have no idea how large the collectible vehicle sector is. If you need more facts and statistics, read the Federation's Historic Vehicle Survey: https://fomc.nz/nzhcvs/

By then, your first 30 seconds will almost be up, so go straight to the heart of the problem.

Explain that NZTA's mission is the transport fleet. The collectible vehicle industry lies outside that mission. As a result, it blindly applies transport fleet rules to collectible vehicles.

Then tell your own story. We all have one. This petition was prompted by a 1969 Alfa Romeo that has sat in a garage since 2002, never registered. It runs, it is restored, but it is offensive to be told to spend $15,000 having its new sills, guards and  floor sandblasted  so a certifier can say it is safe.

Finally, ask for a commitment: “If elected, will you raise our concerns with the next Minister of Transport and ask the Minister to use the Minister's powers under section 152 of the Land Transport Act to initiate the Rule changes we need?”