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The short answer
| 25 years or older | Netherlands: no BPM on import. Many insurers offer classic insurance from this age. |
|---|---|
| 30 years or older | EU: on import from outside the EU as an original collector’s car 0% import duty and reduced VAT. Germany: H plate possible. Netherlands: roadworthiness test every two years. |
| 40 years or older | Netherlands: no road tax, also on LPG or diesel. From 1 January 2028 only for cars from before 1988. |
| 50 years or older | Netherlands: no roadworthiness test any more. |
So there is no single official definition of “classic”. For your wallet the most important limit is the one for road tax: 40 years in the Netherlands, 30 years (with an H plate) in Germany.
Why pre-1987 cars are so popular
A car first registered before 1987 is 40 years old by the end of 2026 at the latest. In the Netherlands a few benefits then come together: no road tax, even if the car runs on LPG, cheaper classic insurance and a roadworthiness test only every two years.
That makes it relatively cheap to drive an old American V8, such as a Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet C10 or Cadillac. Many owners convert such a car to LPG: lower running costs per litre.
In the Netherlands, from 2028 the road tax exemption only applies to cars from before 1988. Under the current rules, a car from 1988 or later will never become road tax-free there. That’s why classics from before 1988 keep getting more sought after.
Road tax: the Netherlands and Germany
The Netherlands: a car 40 years or older is exempt from road tax (MRB). The tax authority looks at the date the car was first put into use. From 1 January 2028 the exemption only applies to vehicles first put into use before 1 January 1988.
Germany: a car at least 30 years old, in good and largely original condition, can get an H plate (H-Kennzeichen) after an expert assessment under § 23 StVZO. With an H plate you pay a flat-rate vehicle tax of €191.73 a year for a car, regardless of engine size, and the car may enter low-emission zones without a sticker.
A classic on LPG: affordable V8 driving
In the Netherlands the exemption from 40 years applies to all fuels. So a pre-1987 V8 with an LPG system pays no road tax there, while LPG is much cheaper per litre than petrol. On LPG you use a few more litres, but the lower price per litre more than makes up for it. That makes a big American V8 affordable to really drive.
- In the Netherlands, if the car isn’t 40 yet, you pay the full road tax rate on LPG. So only convert a 1987 car to LPG once it is 40.
- In Germany an LPG conversion can affect the H plate, because modifications must be period-correct. Check with the inspector first.
- Importing the car from America? Only have the LPG system fitted after import. For the low customs rate the car must be in original condition.
Cheap cover with classic car insurance
Many insurers have a separate classic car insurance. The premium is often much lower than for a normal car, because classics cover fewer miles and are driven with care.
The conditions differ per insurer. Often the car must be at least 25 or 30 years old, there’s a maximum mileage per year and you need another car for daily use. With a valuation report you get the agreed value paid out in case of a total loss, instead of the market value. So compare the conditions above all, not just the premium.
Roadworthiness tests for classics
In the Netherlands a car 30 years or older only needs its roadworthiness test (APK) every two years, and from 50 years none at all. In Germany the general inspection (HU) stays every two years, also with an H plate. Other countries have their own rules.
A classic from America: import duty and VAT
Bring a classic from America and the import rules are the same throughout the EU: if it’s 30 years or older and still original, it can be declared to customs as a collector’s vehicle. That usually means 0% import duty and a reduced VAT rate (9% in the Netherlands, 7% in Germany), instead of 10% import duty and the standard rate. In the Netherlands a car 25 years or older also pays no BPM; Germany has no registration tax.
All costs and steps are at importing a car from the USA. How the rule for collector’s vehicles works exactly is in importing a classic from the USA.
Which cars qualify now?
- Classics from the sixties and seventies, such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Nova: all the benefits. In the Netherlands no road tax, even on LPG; in Germany an H plate; and the low import rate.
- American pickups such as the Chevrolet C10 (1960 to 1986): also classic in both countries, and popular to convert to LPG.
- Cars from 1987 to 1996: in Germany already old enough for an H plate; in the Netherlands not yet road tax-free.
- Cars from 1988 and later: in the Netherlands, under the current rules, never road tax-free again. In Germany an H plate from 30 years.
See which classic cars we bring over from America.