A government drive to reduce the amount of red tape motorists have to deal with could mean classic car owners no longer have to take their vehicle for an MOT at a service provider like Evans Halshaw Car Services and MOT. Cars built before 1960 could be made exempt from regular servicing under the plans, affecting an estimated 162,000 vehicles overall that the government believes are not well-served by current regulations.

Classic car owners would still have to keep their vehicles in a roadworthy state, but the fact that two-thirds of these cars are driven less than 500 miles a year and have a lower accident rate than newer vehicles - not to mention that their owners tend to keep them in a better condition - means they are considered a lower risk.

Road safety minister Mike Penning said: "We are committed to reducing regulation which places a financial burden on motorists without providing significant overall benefits. Owners of classic cars and motorbikes are enthusiasts who maintain their vehicles well - they don't need to be told to look after them, they're out there every weekend checking the condition of the engine, tyres and bodywork."

Greg Knight, chairman of the Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group, welcomed the news and described the current obligation to take an annual MOT as an "unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle". "I am sure that there will be garages which will still offer owners who are not experts in maintaining vehicles a check-up," he added.

Motorists saw a raft of 50 new checks introduced to the MOT on January 1st, which are designed to update the test to keep pace with the latest developments in motor vehicles. The new checks include testing of anti-lock braking and tyre pressure monitoring systems, electronic parking brakes and power steering. However, any failures on these checks will be considered "advisories" rather than full MOT failures until April 1st.