Queen’s X-Type sells for £39,000 and her 1953 Series 1 is up next
Starting HANDEL
Shall we celebrate tax dodgers? Maybe not, says Danny Hopkins
I honestly don’t know anyone whose primary reason for owning as classic is because they can dodge paying tax. The people I mix with, the real enthusiasts I meet, whose passion for older cars leads them to own one (or more), are fuelled by nostalgia, a sense of history, a love of brilliant engineering and respect for design. They love their classic because it enriches their lives.
They come from all backgrounds and demographics and the fact that at 40 years-old or more their classics are road tax free, exempt from ULEZ and don’t have to have an MOT is a 'benefit', a recognition of the fact that old cars take time money and effort to curate. Historic vehicles, those 'dodgers' over 40 years-old, are not generally used as dailies, they are part of a national pastime.
So when a well known, major classic car event hangs its marketing hat on a showcase of classic ‘Tax Dodgers’, announcing a display of ‘Money-saving icons that evade vehicle tax, ULEZ and the annual MOT’ as a reason to come to the event, it’s obvious to me that they don’t understand their own market. They don’t get the classic car community.
Worse than this, by pushing this headline into the mediasphere there is a real danger that they will inspire a backlash from the tabloid press, which could potentially be followed by a knee jerk response from our political masters. By headlining with this element of our hobby we risk the very benefits that inspired the marketing own goal in the first place. Exemptions are a privilege not a right.
We live in an era when public services are on their knees and most people can’t afford to live. Celebrating tax dodging – in any way – is not the best way to get the general public onside. Dodging taxes isn’t heroic, or a game. It’s criminal. The people putting this message out need to read the room.
Historics Auctioneers offered HM Queen Elizabeth II’s 3.0 litre V6 Jaguar X-Type estate with no reserve at its November 26 sale, where it achieved more than six times the average price of a comparable example. The car, which was originally supplied by Jaguar Cars Ltd. Coventry, has 72,544 miles on the clock and a Jaguar Heritage Certificate confirmed its Royal history. However, Jaguar dealer servicing only lasted until 2015. The boot area was fitted with protective matting and black fabric both to accommodate the Royal pooches and protect the car.
Historics’ car specialist, James Good, said: ‘Any car that has been in the possession of a member of the Royal Family has unique prove
