Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
From Deuce Coupes to classic Chevrolet Camaros - starting this summer, ICBC’s collector vehicle program will now accept a wider range of modified vehicles, including those from the “muscle car” era. If you own a car or truck that was built in 1974 or earlier, now is your chance to join ICBC’s collector vehicle program. Starting March 30, 2017, ICBC will begin accepting applications for specialty cars and trucks up to and including model year 1974. Up until now, the cut-off for the program was vehicles built in 1958 or earlier.
“We want to see the collector car industry in B.C. continue to thrive and evolve with the times,” said Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “We are proud to work with our partners at ICBC and the Specialty Vehicle Association of BC to expand this popular program to bring in the eye-catching vehicles from the muscle car era.”
“Many collector vehicle owners are from rural parts of B.C., and this opens up new opportunities for them to join the very popular collector vehicle program,” said Donna Barnett, Minister of State for Rural Economic Development, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. “This inclusion of more car eras helps to expand the horizons of the collector car industry in B.C., and we are happy to help facilitate this change.”
At the request of the Specialty Vehicle Association of BC (SVABC), the government worked with ICBC to make this expansion happen, to keep the program popular and sustainable for years to come.
The collector program has also expanded to include replica (non-original) vehicles resembling production built 1942 model year or earlier.
Owners will be able to register the replica as it looks (for example, registering it as a 1937 Ford rather than 2014 Ubilt). As well, owners of actual 1942 and earlier vehicles will be able to make more modifications and still be eligible for the collector program.
“The collector vehicle program is incredibly popular with our customers,” said Mark Blucher, ICBC’s president and CEO. “It’s a real passion for many people to customize their vehicles, so we’re very pleased the expansion will allow us to offer the program to even more car enthusiasts.”
ICBC’s modified collector vehicle program was last changed over a decade ago.
At that time, approximately 14,000 collector vehicles were registered or actively licenced and insured in B.C. In 2017, there are approximately 26,000 collector vehicles actively licenced and insured in B.C.
“These enhancements to the program are a great step forward for the vehicle enthusiasts of B.C. and the hobby. The SVABC began this quest in 2013 and we are delighted that it is coming to fruition, recognizing the forgotten replicas and incorporating a new genre of collector vehicle - the resto-mod,” said Bob Kelly, SVABC director. “A special thanks to Minister Stone for his willingness to listen to our proposal and for recognizing the importance of moving the collector plate program forward, and also to ICBC for working closely with us to implement the changes.”
To qualify for the collector vehicle program as a modified vehicle, it must meet the following requirements:
* Registered as a 1974 model or older,
* In excellent condition,
* Has been altered so that it resembles but is no longer identical in appearance to the original body,
* Has had one of the following components replaced or altered: chassis, engine and/or power train, suspension, steering and braking component.
To qualify for the collector vehicle program as a replica vehicle, it must meet the following requirements:
* Registered as a 1942 model or older,
* In excellent condition,
* Be identical to in appearance or resemble the original body by the original vehicle manufacturer
If your vehicle is approved, your collector plates will be sent to your Autoplan broker after June 30, 2017.
For more information, or to register, go to: http://www.icbc.com/vehicle-registration/collector-mods/Pages/default.aspx