Imported, modified and kit car classics liable for Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) will not have to pass current emissions testing, the DfT has decided.

After a tense consultation with invested bodies, including the National Street Rod Association (NSRA), the DfT wrote to the FBHVC on Tuesday, May 1 to relay its decision.

“Following an overwhelmingly negative response to its recent [Road Vehicles – Improving Air Quality and Safety] consultation, the proposal to require certain classes of vehicles submitted for IVA following construction to meet currently prevailing emissions standards, is withdrawn,” an FBHVC statement confirmed.

It continued: “Arguments against the proposal demonstrated the immeasurably small beneficial effect on air quality that would have resulted… [those] involved in the UK Kit car sector and specialists involved in reconstructing historic vehicles would have been put out of business at a stroke.”