Is My Car Tax Exempt - A Guide
If our guide suggests that you might be tax exempt, don't delay, order a Heritage Certificate now using our online form.
Cars built before 1 January 1973 are eligible for 'historic vehicle class' and therefore exempt for paying road tax in the UK. If your car comes into this category then our Heritage Certificate service (£39) or Dating Letter (£20) will provide the proof you need to claim your tax exempt road disc from the DVLA.
This guide will help you to find out if your car might be tax exempt. The table below lists the first chassis numbers of the relevant models built in 1973. This provides an approximate guide - if your chassis number is lower than the chassis number listed your car might be tax exempt, if the number is higher it is likely your vehicle was built after the cut off date.
Please note: this is only a comparative guide. While every care has been taken to make the list as accurate as possible, due to the way vehicle manufacturing was organised, it is entirely possible that cars with a lower chassis number than those quoted were built after 1 January 1973. Likewise cars with higher chassis numbers could have been built earlier. This is particularly relevant to Austin, Mini, Rover and Land Rover / Range Rover models.
If your chassis number is borderline, you can use our enquiry form (£5) to confirm the build date for your vehicle before ordering a full Certificate.
| Model | Series chassis prefix | First chassis number in 1973 |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | ||
| 1100 / 1300 | ||
| 1100 two door saloon deluxe | A-A2SAD | 853360-A |
| 1300 two door saloon deluxe | A-A2SAS | 851203-A |
| 1100 four door saloon deluxe | A-ASAS | 857097-A |
| 1300 four door saloon deluxe | A-ASAS | 850214-A |
| 1300 estate (Countryman) | A-AWA | 89026-A |
| 1300 GT four door saloon | A-A4DA | 44211-M |
| Cowley built four door saloon | A-ASAS | 847720-M |
| Maxi | ||
| 1500 and 1750 five door saloons | A-H5SC | 126771-M |
| 1750 HL five door saloons | A-H5SC-J | 124641-M |
| 1800 mk III & 1800 'S' four door | A-H4SE | 83954-A |
| 2200 four door saloon | A-B4SE | 6385-A |
| MG | ||
| Midget mk III | G-AN5 (UD) | 129951-G |
| MGB Roadster | G-HN5 (UD) | 307716-G |
| MGB GT | G-HD5 (UD) | 310578-G |
| Mini (mk III) | ||
| 850 saloon | X-A2S1 | 834190-A |
| 1000 saloon | X-A2S1-N | 833314-A |
| Clubman | X-A2S2 | 872247-A |
| Clubman estate | X-A2W2 | 871934-A |
| 1275 GT | X-AD2 | 846704-A |
| 850 or 1000 van | X-AV1 | 834521-A |
| 850 or 1000 pick up | X-AU1 | 844815-A |
| Morris | ||
| 1300 mk III estate (Traveller) | M-AW2 | 89383-A |
| 1800 mk III & 'S' four door | M-H4SE | 53439-A |
| 2200 four door saloon | M-B4SE | 6453-A |
| Marina 1.3 four door saloon | M-A4S9 (-S) | 217013 |
| Marina 1.3 two door coupe | M-A2S9 (-S) | 223002-M |
| Marina 1.8 & 1.8 TC four door | M-H4S9 (-S) (-T) | 217017-M |
| Marina 1.8 & 1.8 TC two door | M-H2S9 (-S) (-T) | 223001-M |
| Marina 1.8 estate | M-H5W9 (-S) | 5399-M |
| Rover including Land Rover and Range Rover | ||
| Rover Company chassis number sequences bear little relation to date of build. If you believe your vehicle was built before 1 January 1973, please enquire. | ||
| Triumph | ||
| Toledo 1300 two door saloon | ADH | 2290 |
| Toledo 1300 four door saloon | ADF | 55194 |
| 1500 front wheel drive saloon | YB | 61717 |
| Dolomite 1850 HL | WF | 19268 |
| 2000 mk II saloon and estate | ME | 74983 |
| 2.5 PI mk II saloon and estate | MG | 76343 |
| Spitfire mk IV | FH | 52541 |
| Spitfire 1500 (USA spec) | FM | 3033-U |
| GT6 mk III | KE or KF | 21476 |
| TR6 PI | CR | 650 |
| TR6 carburetor (USA spec) | CF | 3966-U |
| Stag | LD or LE | 21087 |
| Vanden Plas | ||
| Princess 1300 four door | V-AS2 | 35622-M |
| Wolseley | ||
| 1300 mk II four door saloon | W-A4S5 | 44429-M |
| Six (2200) four door saloon | W-B4SE | 7808-A |
This information is provided only as a guide, whilst the BMIHT has taken car to ensure the correctness of the information supplied neither the BMIHT nor any of its associated Trusts of Companies will be held liable for any errors or omissions or the consequences thereof.