This, from the FBHVC, is not entirely hopeful for later cars but holds something for the thirty year old cars and, possibly, those with engine transplants:
"We continue to see initiatives to propose charging or banning zones in city centres. Birmingham have recently announced that even though they have yet to establish their city centre CAZ, they intend to introduce a total ban on cars within the city centre at some stage. It may be this represents the start of a further round of restrictions. In Scotland, where there is a proposal to establish several bans, including one covering the whole of Edinburgh and its suburbs, efforts have been aimed at getting a general exemption for Historic Vehicles so that it applies regardless in any zone established. Scotland has recently proposed National Regulations which will frame the scope of any Low Emission Zones within Scotland. The proposal currently proposes a blanket exemption for all vehicles over 30 years old, in line with the international FIVA definition of “historic vehicle”. I will be drafting a response shortly which supports this threshold and must congratulate all those who worked to achieve this, as well as those who clearly listened. Subject to this being introduced, this means that for Scottish cities, all vehicles within our remit will exempted and we should be able to be confident that Scottish LEZ’s will not affect our members, at least when driving their historic vehicles. In England, the various zones remain stalled. The two most advanced – Birmingham and Leeds – have both been deferred over software development and changes in the proposed funding of the charging system. I understand that Birmingham are still working on the basis that their system will be operational by July 2020 although from my earlier comments you will appreciate, I remain to be convinced. Other councils have made proposals but these will also have the shared software development issues and have not progressed further. York is one of the latest and intends to ban all vehicles from within the old City walls. Given that much of the area inside the walls is pedestrianised and such streets as remain open to vehicles are narrow and congested, this seems unlikely to have any major impact. London plans to expand its existing ULEZ beyond the central “congestion zone” area to the North and South Circular routes, and whereas Central London has a relatively small resident population, this outer area encompasses some 3 million residents. This is planned for October 2021. At this stage, we will continue to respond to proposals as they emerge. I have received queries from several members in respect of ‘near-classic’ vehicles and vehicles caught in the 30-40 years old gap (English CAZ/LEZ zones are based on historic vehicle tax exemption at 40 years, rather than the Scottish proposed 30 year threshold) Enquirers have asked if it is possible to ‘retro-fit’ a car to improve its emissions and thereby escape charges or bans. For some motorcycles it is possible to do this as emission tests on motorcycles were introduced differently. The simple answer is that there are provisions for ‘retro-fitting’ to be recognised, although the process to do it is complex and untested, and any conversion along with emission testing seems likely to exceed the value of most vehicles considered. Technically, I have spoken to one owner who claims it is theoretically achievable on his car, but only by upgrading the engine to an available later compliant specification. There certainly isn’t a simple ‘bolt on’ kit! This is an area for others to explore. Our remit in representing Historic Vehicles and their owners means we have focused on pressing for full exemptions, and vehicle emission compliance is a highly technical field we are not resourced to advise on."
Edited by Quinlan minor, 21 February 2020 - 08:12 PM.