California Opens "Specially Constructed" Class to Previously Registered Vehicles

WASHINGTON (Sept. 23, 2002) - A new California law makes previously registered 
kit cars and replicas eligible for the "specially constructed" designation. The 
law expands a California law enacted last year to provide a more accurate model 
year designation and emissions-system certification for these specially 
constructed vehicles. Last year's bill enabled only those vehicles that had 
never before been registered to take advantage of this classification.

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, supported the bill sponsored 
in the legislature by State Senator Maurice Johannessen (R-District 4).

Under California's law, a smog test referee compares the vehicle to those of the 
era that the vehicle most closely resembles to determine the model year of a 
specially constructed vehicle. The vehicle's owner can choose whether the 
inspector will certify the vehicle model year or the engine model year. If there 
is no close match, it is classified as a 1960 vehicle. Only those emission 
controls applicable to the model year and that can be reasonably accommodated by 
the vehicle are required. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registration 
program is limited to the first 500 specially constructed vehicles per year that 
meet the criteria.

"In years past, California kit cars and replica vehicles were assigned the 
current model-year for smog inspection purposes," said Steve McDonald, SEMA 
director of government and technical affairs. "This policy unfairly subjected 
kit cars and other specially constructed vehicles to more stringent smog 
inspection requirements. Thanks to this measure, engines and vehicles will be 
held to the standards of the model year they represent rather than the more 
sophisticated vehicles of today. In addition, car owners won't be penalized for 
having previously registered their specially constructed vehicle."

California exempts pre-1974 vehicles from the biennial and change-of-ownership 
smog check requirements. Under the new law, specially constructed vehicles 
designated with a pre-1974 model year will be exempted from the test. Beginning 
in the year 2003, all vehicles 30-years old and older will be exempted.