They might be considered “old bangers” but classic cars built before 1960 are proving themselves a more attractive proposition than younger models when it comes to passing the National Car Test (NCT).
Figures published by the Road Safety Authority show that 10 out of the 13 pre-1960 vehicles submitted for the NCT in 2018 passed the test, a success rate of almost 77 per cent.
They included the oldest car to be issued with a NCT certificate last year, a Rolls Royce registered in 1932.
The high pass rate for cars dating back over six decades suggests such classics are carefully maintained by their owners and contrasts with the average pass rate of 49.2 per cent for more than 1.34 million vehicles tested at NCT centres last year.
However, cars registered from 1960 on do not fare quite as well. They show a strong correlation between pass rates and the age of the vehicle and are more liable to fail the NCT.
The pass rate of all “vintage” cars – any vehicle over 30 years old as classified by Revenue – was less than 40 per cent with only 888 out of 2,241 models passing the test.
Only one of four of the famed classic De Lorean sports cars, which were manufactured in Belfast in the early 1980s, passed the test.
Three makes – Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Ford – account for more than half of all vintage cars tested last year.