Got collector-car insurance? Smog test no longer needed

A law passed by the Legislature last year and recently approved by the Environmental Protection Agency allows collector cars in the Tucson and Phoenix areas to obtain emissions-testing exemptions. The exemption also applies to motorcycles in the Tucson area.

Collector cars are at least 15 model years old but newer than 1966. Cars built in model year 1966 and earlier already are exempt from emissions testing.

To qualify for the new emissions exemption, the vehicle must carry collector-car insurance, which limits the mileage on the vehicle each year and ensures that it's a limited-production vehicle.

In most cases, that insurance is less expensive than regular coverage, said McKeel Hagerty, chief executive officer of the Hagerty Insurance Agency, which specializes in collector-car insurance.

There is no master list or other registry for collector vehicles, so the state can regulate the exemption by requiring the collector insurance. The insurance agencies do the work to determine whether a vehicle is a collector car, and they report to the state, Hagerty said.

The EPA estimates the exemption will affect about 1,400 collectible vehicles and more than 6,000 motorcycles in Pima County. Although the Legislature approved the exemption during the 2006 session, the EPA had to review and publish it before it became official.

"We did a study on the impacts to air quality on exempting these vehicles. We found that there would be no negative impacts to air quality with these exemptions," said Courtland Coleman, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

The EPA agreed, saying the exemption "would not interfere with meeting and maintaining health-based standards for ozone and carbon monoxide."

There's one catch: If the Tucson or Phoenix areas violate air-quality standards, the requirements could be reinstated.

Those who have collector cars with collector insurance don't need to do anything before their registration renewal date, said Cydney DeModica, spokeswoman for the Motor Vehicle Division.

When the renewal notices arrive in the mail, collector-car owners should be able to renew their registrations online or in person. The insurance companies will be electronically reporting the policies to the state, so the Motor Vehicle Division should already know who qualifies and who doesn't.

If there are problems, a car owner can call the insurance agency to make sure everything was reported appropriately, DeModica said.

Collector-car owners say the exemption will help them financially because some collector cars have a difficult time passing emissions, simply because of their age.

Tucsonan Dwight Eller said he has to take his 1979 Lotus Eclat Sprint to his mechanic each year to ensure that it passes emissions, even though he doesn't drive the Lotus or his other collector and historic cars very often.

"I do not use them other than to give them their little exercise run," said Eller, a member of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America.

Fellow collector Ron Janicki said he was happy to hear that the exemption was official. He drives his 1971 Datsun 240Z less than 1,000 miles a year and treats it well in between those drives.

"Some of us get carried away," Janicki said. "If you saw my garage, you'd say I got carried away."

But others aren't so keen on the exemptions. Southeast Side resident Nicole Daniels recently bought a 1985 Porsche 994, intending to fix it up and use it daily. The previous owner also used it as a daily driver.

The Porsche would qualify as a collector car, but it's driven too many miles per year.

Even though Daniels is selling the Porsche, she said she thinks everyone should have to go through emissions testing, no matter what.

"I think if a car's going to be driven, it needs to go through emissions — every single one," she said. "I personally would prefer not to go through emissions, but if you have to, I think everyone should."

And car hobbyist Milton Schick said his Oldsmobiles won't qualify because he doesn't want to get collector car insurance.

"I don't like the idea of having any of my cars under any restrictions that I can't do something with it. That to me is unacceptable," he said.

what qualifies as 'collector car'?

A collector car is not the same as a historic car. A collector car must have collector-car insurance, which requires that the vehicle is a certain age (it can be newer than a historic vehicle); be driven a limited number of miles as determined by the insurance agency; and in most cases be of a limited-production make, model or year.

To qualify for historic license plates, a car must be 25 model years old or older, with no other restrictions, according to the Motor Vehicle Division. There are also special plates for classic cars and street rods.

For more information on how to qualify for the assortment of specialized license plates in Arizona, go online to www.azdot.gov/mvd/vehicle/ mvdplate.asp and click on the type of plate you want to learn about.