The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) and the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) have published a keynote policy paper which brings to light the significance of the legacy and historic motorcycle sector.
The UK has significant motorcycling cultural heritage, with a long and proud history boasting over 125 years of invention, technical development and world record setting. The sector is of significant value. It was estimated in 2023 that there were 624,805 vintage and classic motorcycles (Loop report) which in 2020 had an estimated f leet value of nearly £1.2 billion (HERO-ERA report). This represents nearly 30% of the value of the combined classic car and motorcycle fleet at that time.
Government statistics reveal that of the total licenced motorcycle ‘parc’ of around 1.35 million machines in 2025, it is estimated that around 400,000 are older than 25 years – around 30% of all motorcycles in use.
Activity in the sector which includes, clubs, dealers, parts and accessory specialists, engineering and manufacturing businesses, plus tourism, the sport, museums, action houses and events, can be shown to contribute up to £1.6 billion to the UK economy per annum.
But despite the social, cultural and economic value of this vibrant sector, it faces rising regulatory and other pressures. These include security of legacy fuel supply, historic vehicle rules, plus manufacturing and engineering skills attrition in the sector – which is also an issue right across engineering in the UK. Also of concern is continued access rights to certain roads, fuel composition changes and poorly implemented environmental policies – among other issues.
The VMCC and NMC are calling for much better recognition of the sector and its social and economic value. They also urge the Government to continue to protect historic vehicle exemptions and to strengthen DVLA and MoT frameworks, through developing greater liaison between recognised experts within heritage organisations and the DVLA/DVSA.
For more detail, read the NMC press release.
