FIVA (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens) is the world federation of historic vehicle clubs. It does not make law, but its documents and definitions are used all over the classic scene, from event organisers to buyers who want a second opinion on a bike's originality.
What FIVA means by a historic vehicle
FIVA defines a historic vehicle as a mechanically propelled road vehicle that is at least 30 years old, preserved and maintained in a historically correct condition, not used as daily transport and therefore part of our technical and cultural heritage. Only one of those conditions is about age. A 40-year-old bike that has been heavily modified is not a historic vehicle in the FIVA sense.
The FIVA Identity Card
The FIVA Identity Card is an internationally standardised document that summarises the identity, technical specification and known history of a vehicle, including modifications. The rules for getting one are strict:
- It is issued by the national FIVA authority (the Autorité Nationale FIVA, or ANF) of the country where the vehicle is registered. Where a country has no FIVA authority, the FIVA Technical Commission issues it through its online system.
- A physical inspection is mandatory. The card is only issued after the vehicle has been checked against the FIVA Technical Code.
- The vehicle has to be at least 30 years old, mechanically powered, in a historically correct and maintained state and not used for daily transport.
- FIVA says a card stays valid for a maximum of 10 years, or until ownership changes or the specification is modified.
- Every vehicle gets a unique FIVA Registration Number (FRN) in a central database.
For vehicles between 20 and 29 years old there is a separate Youngtimer Registration Document.
What the card is worth
The card is not a legal document. A tax office or a registration authority does not have to accept it, though some countries and event organisers do. What it does give you is independent evidence that someone qualified looked at the bike, compared it with the Technical Code and wrote down what is original and what is not. For a buyer that is worth more than a seller's promise. It also means you should read the card, not just see that it exists: look at the classification and the notes on modifications, and check that the frame number on the card is the frame number on the bike.
Because the card can lapse when ownership changes, ask the national authority what happens to a card when the bike is sold.
The Technical Code
The FIVA Technical Code is the standard that inspectors use. It gives member countries a common way of dating a vehicle, classifying it and judging how well it has been preserved. The current edition is published on the FIVA website.
The Turin Charter
The Charter of Turin was adopted by the FIVA General Assembly in October 2012 and entered into force on 29 January 2013. It sets out the principles for the use, maintenance, conservation, restoration and repair of historic vehicles. It is based on the UNESCO Venice Charter of 1964, which deals with monuments. Its spirit is to preserve what is original before replacing or renewing it. If you plan a restoration, read the article on originality and patina as a practical companion.
FIVA age classes
For events FIVA has defined optional age classes, built on the year of manufacture:
- Class A (Ancestor): up to 31 December 1904
- Class B (Veteran): 1905 to 1918
- Class C (Vintage): 1919 to 1930
- Class D (Post Vintage): 1931 to 1945
- Class E (Post War): 1946 to 1960
- Class F: 1961 to 1970
- Class G: 1971 to 1980
- Class H: 1981 to 1990
- Class I: 1991 up to the FIVA age limit
- Class Y (Youngtimer): vehicles between 20 and 29 years old
You will see these letters in event programmes and some listings. They are labels, not a measure of value.
Where to start
Find your national authority on the FIVA list of members, and ask them about inspection days and costs. Compare the FIVA definition with the national rules in what counts as a classic motorcycle.
