EEC Restrictions

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Sir, In a recent issue of MOTOR SPORT, I have seen reference to previous correspondence and/or articles concerning the problems of motoring in older vehicles in the EEC:. I expect this refers to problems of registration, bloody-mindedness of the authorities and so on.

I have my own recent experience of these problems as, being now a permanent resident of France, I wished to import my 1939 4.3litre Alvis into the country and put it on normal French plates. This presented no problems to the customs authorities, but for the licensing office this is altogether another matter. I am informed that, no matter how good the car may be, or how closely it may conform to the regulations, it cannot be registered unless another identical model is first tested to destruction, as it is a series produced car and no other models of this type have yet been approved by the French authorities. This is despite the number of totally decrepit “traction avant” and even certain common varieties of pre-war English car, e.g. Austin 7, which are all merrily sailing along the streets of Paris because one of their ilk had the good fortune to be imported before this silly rule came into force.

Paris.

Brinsley Best