RESPONSIBLE USE IS KEY – FIVA INTRODUCES ITS NEW GUIDE FOR HISTORIC MOTORING

RESPONSIBLE USE IS KEY – FIVA INTRODUCES ITS NEW GUIDE FOR HISTORIC MOTORING

One of the highlights of FIVA’s annual General Assembly, held this year in Gibraltar, was the presentation of the FIVA Guide for responsible use of historic vehicles on today’s roads. It reminds owners and drivers of historic vehicles of the importance of caring for the environment, and for the safety of other road users when taking a trip in a historic vehicle.

Tiddo Bresters, FIVA’s Vice President for Legislation, comments, “FIVA is fully aware that the world of mobility and transport is changing. However, it is also deeply convinced that in times of rapid innovation in vehicle technology, the sight of historic vehicles in use on the roads – artefacts that demonstrate the designs, the skills and the cultures of past times – will continue to delight people all over the world.

“Not only does our new Guide address the more than a million and a half historic vehicle owners that FIVA represents, it will also help the authorities and institutions influential in road safety and the environment to recognise that historic vehicles have a place in the world’s future landscape – as they have had for so many decades in the past.”

With the publication of the new Guide, FIVA confirms its commitment to maintaining the high standards of road safety for which historic vehicle drivers are known – not least by the insurance industry. (Indeed, FIVA is a member of the European Road Safety Charter, which it joined almost 10 years ago.)

The Guide replaces earlier publications that expressed FIVA’s respect for these two essential concerns – the environment and the safety of other road-users – and FIVA’s member organisations in around 70 countries, across all continents, will be encouraged to actively distribute it.

The Guide, which has over 20 pages and is imaginatively illustrated by three women illustrators from three different countries, has been edited under the direction of FIVA’s Legislation Commission. The cover of the Guide (image available for publication) is inspired by an actual photograph taken by FIVA’s Tiddo Bresters in Heidelberg in 2018 – and it perfectly illustrates the joy of introducing future generations to our mobile heritage. It shows children displaying a natural curiosity in the unusual sight of a BMW Isetta – a motorcycle-engined microcar from the 1950s – and in the background, the illustrator has added its modern equivalent, a brand-new electric microcar, the Microlino, inspired by the Isetta.

A WELSH LOVE STORY ON WHEELS

CLASSIC TORQUE

FROM CLASSIC CHATTER

A WELSH LOVE STORY ON WHEELS

 The routes! What a delight to drive!” was the instant response of one German participant when asked for his view of the FIVA World Rally 2018, a 450-mile, four-day, non-competitive event held this year in the dramatic countryside of rural Mid Wales.

The annual event is open to anyone with a classic car they enjoy using, not just members of FIVA (the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens or international federation of historic vehicles).

While the location changes from year to year, Mid Wales proved a huge hit with the 25 participating teams, including two from Japan, four from Argentina, two from Slovakia, one from the Czech Republic and six from Germany – most of whom were new to Wales but have pledged to return as soon as they can.

“When driving,” continues Carl-Michael Emer from Germany, “one immediately understands the fascination of the Welsh people for the sport of rallying, because the terrain offers so many possibilities.

“Most of FIVA’s World Rally route followed small – even tiny – roads, sometimes just wide enough to let a car pass. Although it was called a ‘touristic event’, the driving was demanding, with tight corners, blind bends, steep uphill and downhill slopes (up to 25%), but we were always rewarded with breathtaking views in an ever-changing landscape. It’s easy to understand the affection the event organisers have for this region; and I think the participants now feel the same.”

Held from 28 August to 1 September 2018, there were four days of driving with a central base at the fabulous Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells, often regarded as the spiritual home of Welsh rallying. A detailed roadbook guided participants through the twists and turns of the route, while there was a relaxing break from driving when the teams took a steam train ride from Devil’s Bridge to Aberystwyth.

Event organiser Paul Loveridge added, “Many participants were amazed to discover the terrain and landscapes of Mid Wales – drawing comparisons with the alpine regions of Europe. What particularly struck them was that within a single mile, you come across radically different scenery that might encompass mountain passes, lush valleys or panoramic views across as many as eight or ten counties.”

Next year’s event will have a lot to live up to but, given that it’s being held in Austria, it shouldn’t disappoint. FIVA’s Austria Classic, from 22-26 May 2019, is again open to anyone – not just FIVA members.