19 classics that don’t need an MoT in 2021

Happy 40th birthday!

Another year rolling over means another collection of classics are about to benefit from the British government’s rolling MoT exemption.

Currently any car built or first registered more than 40 years ago doesn’t need to be subjected to an annual MoT test, though the owner is expected to keep the car in roadworthy condition: you face a £2500 fine and three penalty points if you don’t.

And just to further sweeten the deal on any early 1980s classic you might be considering, if a car was built or registered before 1 January 1981, it’s also exempt from vehicle tax from April of that year, potentially saving you £270 (or £165 if your car’s packing less than 1549cc).

Of course, seeking a professional’s view on your classic and getting an MoT anyway is a responsible way of ensuring your safety and giving peace of mind, and all cars used on the road should be well maintained for everyone’s safekeeping. Let’s check out 19 newly minted classics.

1. Audi quattro

Audi celebrated 40 years of the quattro in 2020, but the first UK cars didn’t arrive here until the spring of 1981 – and even then the steering wheel was still on the wrong side.

Brits didn’t get right-hookers until ’83.

2. BMW E28 5-series

Known to fans by its E28 model code, the second generation 5 Series was launched to the world in the summer of 1981 and the first right-hand drive cars just sneaked across the Channel before the end of the year.

The hottest engine at launch was the 184bhp 528i – the M5 wasn’t launched until 1985.

3. De Lorean DMC-12

Production of John De Lorean’s gullwing sports car was scheduled to start in 1979, but delays meant the first production cars didn’t leave the Dunmurry factory until the beginning of 1981.

A year later the company was in receivership.

4. Volkswagen Polo

The ‘bread van’, as it’s known to VW fans on account of its practical – if not exactly pretty – design, is something of a cult car these days.

Most examples came with a fairly pedestrian 1043cc inline ‘four’, but if you’re looking at one today it’s worth seeking out the torquier 1300 version.

5. Lamborghini Jalpa

The Countach got a new baby brother at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show.

The Jalpa, pronounced ‘yalpa’, was developed from the earlier Silhouette and featured a transversely mounted 3.5-litre V8 behind its two seats.

6. Vauxhall Cavalier

GM embraced front-wheel drive for its second-generation Cortina fighter, the Mk2 Cavalier, and its Opel Ascona twin.

And when the British public failed to take to the Cortina’s jelly-mould successor, the Sierra, the Cav temporarily topped the sales charts.

7. Ford Escort RS 1600i

Launched in September 1981, a year after the carb-fed XR3 (which wouldn’t get the i-suffix until 1982), the RS was a homologation special built to legalise Ford’s Group A racing exploits.

The gruff 1.6-litre CVH engine gained fuel injection and twin-coil electronic ignition to liberate 115bhp, while new suspension geometry and anti-roll bars made sure its 115bhp – 160bhp in competition guise – made it to those seven-spoke RS alloys.

8. Ferrari Mondial

Though a mid-engined 2+2, like the Bertone-designed 308GT4 it replaced, the Mondial benefits from a longer wheelbase to make the backs seats more useful and Pininfarina styling, but it’s hardly a beauty.

A decade ago the unloved Mondial was worth peanuts, however values have more than doubled since.

9. Fiat Panda

Another brilliant bit of Giugiaro design, the utilitarian Panda’s flat glass and bare-bones interior meant it was cheap to make and buy.

The Panda made its debut at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, and arrived in UK showrooms in right-hand-drive form in May 1981.

10. Triumph Acclaim

The last car to wear the famous Triumph badge wasn’t really a Triumph at all, but a rebadged Honda Ballade, the booted version of the Japanese Civic.

But it was built in Britain, not Japan, and found over 133,000 homes (mostly in Britain) after its launch in 1981.

11. Lotus Esprit Turbo

Another Brit-built car that can kiss goodbye to tax and test worries this year is the original Lotus Esprit Turbo.

The gaudy Essex Turbo Esprit was actually the first factory-built blown Esprit, but the Turbo became a mainstream production model with the introduction of the S3 Esprit in 1981.

12. Ford Fiesta XR2

Ford had already offered a 1.6-litre engine package in its X-series aftermarket brochure, but it was 1981 before you could buy a fully formed production Fiesta hot hatch.

Well, hot-ish – with 84bhp, carb-fuelling and only four gears, the Fiesta XR2 was fun, but hardly cutting edge.

13. Triumph TR7

The last of Triumph’s two-seaters finally earns its classic status in 2021, at least in the eyes of the British government – it’s fair to say TR6 fans are yet to be convinced.

Production at the Solihull plant ended in October 1981.

14. Alfa Romeo GTV6

Alfa’s 2.0-litre Alfetta GTV had always enjoyed a reputation for fine handling, in part thanks to its transaxle layout.

But in December 1980, Alfa gave the hunchbacked coupé the power to match when it launched the 160bhp, 2.5-litre GTV6 in the UK market.

15. Jaguar XJ-S HE

Six years after the launch of the original XJ-S, it was facelift time for Jag’s GT. There were new wheels, more chrome for the bumpers and more wood for the interior.

But the most interesting improvement was the new HE (high efficiency) V12, whose redesigned cylinder heads meant mpg figures were less likely to dip into single digits.

16. Chevrolet Camaro

Chevy’s significantly lighter third-generation Camaro (and its Pontiac Firebird sister) began rolling out of the factory in October 1981, ahead of a December launch, so it’s possible that some early cars that have made it to the UK might have already made their last visit to an MoT station.

Weight was down for this new third iteration of GM’s F-body coupé, but so was power: the base engine was a weedy 90bhp 2.5-litre ‘four’ – and even the injected Z/28 range-topper only mustered 165 ponies.

17. Ford Mustang GT

Meanwhile, the Camaro’s arch-rival, the Mustang, also had something new up its sleeve in ’81.

Introduced late that year as a 1982 model, the Mustang GT was advertised with the slogan ‘The Boss is back’, though its 157bhp 5.0-litre V8 was hardly a match for the Boss Mustang 302 and 429 engines of old.

18. Madza RX-7

This Japanese coupé had been around since 1978, but the Series 2 cars built from 1981, and ready for MoT-exempt status this coming year, were much improved.

Smoother bumpers, thicker side mouldings and a rear spoiler sorted the styling, there was an extra 10bhp (to 114bhp) from the rotary engine, and the rear axle swapped drums for discs to keep the extra poke in check.

19. Porsche 924 Carrera GTS

Having already created the wide-arch 924 Carrera GT in 1980 to go racing, Porsche went one further to keep it competitive the following year. The 242bhp GTS got fixed headlamps, a 35bhp power bump and was limited to 59 units.

Since these rare-groove machines are now worth north of £200k in Clubsport trim, it’s unlikely buyers are going to be jumping for joy at the thought of not shelling out for an MoT.

But, in the world of car running costs, just as in racing, a win is still a win.