spider's birth date- Thanks to all

[droptop]

  Hi guys. Just wanted to thank all who helped me to determine the true age of my spider (I'm calling it Boris! Any Who fans out there?)
The advice I got from you led me to contact Tim Speechley in Fiat UK who confirmed the date of manufacture as January 1978 and not 1980 as the logbook stated.
The nett result is that Boris is exempt from annual testing and the road tax will be €48 P.A. as opposed to €614. so well done all.
I'm just waiting for my rad. to come back from being recored and will then be able to drive it.
Can't wait!

[MattNoVAT]

Well done that man! 

Turned out nice eh!  well worth the effort 

[droptop]

Too right, it was.
Pity I can,t get the same  (or any) help from forums for other marques!

[falcoron]

Too right, it was.
Pity I can,t get the same  (or any) help from forums for other marques!

So what is the date close off for the tax and test benifits? this would make buying an older one much more atractive.

[droptop]

I live in Southern Ireland, part of a little island with a population of about 4,000,000 and a government with a population of about 50,000, the combined intellect of a dead tree branch and a need to live like third world dictators. The upshot of this is that we peasants, especially those of us who still have work or jobs outside the Inner Circle have to support the elite  with punishing road taxes, duties and taxes disguised as "levies"! For instance, the annual road tax on a new Evo is a cool €2,000 per year. This, apparently, is to save our planet by limiting the number of these polar bear killing machines to one or two instead of the planet-destroying 25 or 30 already on our dangerous badly surfaced "roads". Apparently having VRT or Vehicle Regestration Tax which leaves the car costing about €65,000 is no deterrent, so we now have a CO2 based road tax. This was introduced in 2008 and raised the road tax on an evo from €614 to today's level. Prior to 2008, cars were taxed on engine size which scaled up to €1500 approx. for engines of 3.0L and above.
A special rate of €48 was lobbied for and introduced for cars of 30 years or older.
However, new legislation has seen the introduction of changes to the test requirements which means that all cars manufactured from 1980 on must have a full annual test which I feel is another form of tax, and if my Spider was  1980, I would be subject to this, as well as the higher road tax, albeit, the tax would be only at that rate for one year as this part of the law remains unchanged fo now at least.
Anyway, you asked so I answered! By the way, I am NOT a communist, just a p...ed -off beast of burden.