About the FIVA

The "Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens" (FIVA) was founded on March 1st, 1966 in France as an international federation of historic vehicle clubs, predominantly catering for preserved self-propelled road vehicles of all kinds and more than twenty years old. It is the only international organisation concerned with historic vehicles which is recognised by UNESCO. It promotes and protects our historic vehicle heritage for future generations. It provides links between clubs and groups of enthusiasts on an international basis and encourages the interest of the general public in preserving the motoring and motorcycling heritage.

FIVA is a non profit making association having several goals: one of them is to be an organisation representative of the historic vehicle movement able to influence legislation in the various countries and in Europe, in order to safeguard the interests of the movement, i.e. basically to ensure the freedom of use of those vehicles on public roads. Another one is to exercise a control over events organised for this type of vehicles. Although FIVA is only interested in touring and regularity, events control is also necessary to impose safety measures in order to prevent dangerous competitions or serious accidents. Finally FIVA also considers its task is to identify and to classify all historic vehicles.

The range of interests within FIVA is enormous: all type of mechanically propelled vehicles are included under the FIVA banner, ranging from giant steam propelled traction engines to minute cycle motors, from the opulently luxurious to the utilitarian, from the civilian to the military vehicles, from high performance sports cars to farm tractors, all have their place within FIVA.

Just as the vehicles themselves span the whole range, so to do the about six hundred thousands people who belong to the organisations which make up the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA), from clerks to bankers, from tradesmen to international businessmen, from dustmen to surgeons… all walks of life are actively involved in all aspects of FIVA life. Every day, every week-end, enthusiasts throughout the world dedicate themselves through their hobby to preserving, maintaining and driving all types of historic vehicles. Some enthusiasts spend small fortunes to have their vehicles restored to their former glory while others devote enormous amounts of time and energy to carry out rebuilding work themselves. Some take a special pride in showing their vehicles to other enthusiasts and the general public by entering rallies, others have no time for this aspect of the preserved vehicle movement, preferring the pleasure and recreation to be derived from using the vehicle for what it was originally intended, driving on the road. Whether the vehicles are being used for family fun or for club social or competitive events, they are admired and enjoyed by the general public just as much as they are cherished by their owners.

Historic vehicle enthusiasts are taking care of an important part of the vehicle cultural heritage. By using their vehicles, they are creating a "rolling museum". By restoring their vehicles, they are preserving old techniques and skills which otherwise might have been forgotten.

Throughout the world, there are literally thousands of historic vehicle organisations catering for individual interests. Some are very large, some very small, but all thrive on the enthusiasm of their members. Some devote themselves to studying individual makes, others to special types. Some organise static displays, other moving events such as road rallies. Some limit their activities to purely social functions, some provide special help such as spare parts. All these organisations are working to safeguard the rights of the individual owner to use his or her vehicle on the road without restrictions. To improve their efficiency, clubs in countries with many organisations have created national federations which will negotiate with national authorities and monitor national legislation.

On the international level, the national clubs and federations are linked through FIVA. FIVA will not interfere in the running of affiliated clubs but will take care of those matters which are best dealt with on an international level.

FIVA has had considerable success in its lobbying activities in Brussels within the European Union. The Eurocrats charged with preparing vehicle and environmental legislation understandably think of the main vehicle park when they are drafting legislation. It gives them enough problems. They simply do not think of historic vehicles. It has been FIVA's job to draw attention to their existence and suggest what may be done to accomodate them. No resistance has been met to the idea that they should receive special treatment. As a rule, FIVA has managed to get the desired provisions into the original European Commission proposals.

FIVA experience in international lobby work has enabled it to give sound advice to national clubs and federations both within the European Union and in other countries about what legislation proposals to expect and how to deal with them.

FIVA co-operates with the two other large international road vehicle federations, FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) for automobiles and FIM (Fédération Internationale Motocycliste) for motorcycles in order to improve the respect and the understanding for historic vehicles and their use. FIVA and FIA have many interests in common and they have signed an agreement which was reworded in October 1999. Each of them has appointed three persons to be part of a " FIVA-FIA Relations Committee" created for implementing the provisions of the agreement and for solving eventual disagreements which may appear at national levels.

FIVA will appoint the most representative club or federation in each country as its nationalrepresentative, it is called the "ANF" (FIVA National Authority). The ANF, in addition to representing the nation with respect to FIVA, i.e. carrying the national votes at FIVA's General Assembly, is also in charge of issuing FIVA Identity Cards to eligible vehicles and of controlling FIVA events in the country.

FIVA clubs and federations organise national and international rallies for historic vehicles. FIVA monitors international events through its Events Commission governed by the FIVA Events Code. FIVA rallies are touring or regularity events where average speeds do not exceed 50 km per hour.

FIVA closely monitors international trends in the use of historic vehicles as they develop and provides a set of definitions in its FIVA Technical Code on how to classify historic vehicles in order to assist and encourage owners and the market generally to distinguish between original vehicles, reproductions and fakes and to evaluate quality of preservation. In international FIVA events, Vehicle Identity Cards are mandatory.

A permanent General Secretary's office is maintained whose function is to correlate information and to communicate with member organisations and others.

FIVA comprises 73 associations in 48 countries.

FIVA regroups as its "Patron Members" various historic vehicle museums or collections.