Serbian Federation for Historical Vehicles (SFHV) was officially founded on 20 September 2010 (Decree No. 0001171355). Immediately after the founding the application for the membership in Federation Internationale de Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) has been submitted. The application was accepted and we are now in the process of obtaining the status of full-fledged FIVA member. The headquarters of the Federation is on the premises of the Automobile Museum in Belgrade, 30 Majke Jevrosime Street. The Federation gathers automobile and motorcycle clubs with great tradition. These clubs have started their activities in the sixties of the last century when the awareness of the historical significance of vintage vehicles and the very important task of their preservation began to grow.
ABOUT US
Welcome to SFHV
The Federation is a non-profit organization with the aim of protecting the common interests of members in connection with the preservation and protection of historic vehicles and fostering cultural and historical heritage related to historic vehicles in the Republic of Serbia. The Federation operates in accordance with the law, its Statute and the FIVA rules.
FIVA is non-profit organisation, created in 1966, gathers 85 members from 64 countries from all continents. These members represent over 1.5 million of dedicated enthusiasts.
Activities of the SFHV are directed towards the organization of joint competitive, recreational and cultural activities of the Federation’s members. In addition, the Federation cooperates with other unions, federations, associations and owners of historic vehicles in the country and abroad. It brings together enthusiasts whose common interest is preserving the cultural and technical heritage and assists the members in the acquisition, renovation and maintenance of vintage vehicles.
The Federation brings together the biggest clubs in Serbia with over 300 cars and 250 members.
The Federation has actively participated in the FIVA General Assembly in Ljubljana in 2010. At the FIVA General Assembly in 2011 in Washington DC our Federation was presented to all FIVA members. FIVA developed the “World Motoring Heritage Year” programme in 2016 to celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2016. This programme has been granted the Patronage of UNESCO.
SFHV actively participates in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of FIVA in Paris in 2016.
SFHV became a full-fledged member of the FIVA organization in May at the General Assembly of FIVA in Como, Italy, where the Concourso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este was held. With this, the SFHV became a representative of FIVA (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens) and ANF (Autorité National FIVA) for Serbia. That same year, in October, at the general assembly of FIVA in Split, SFHV had its presentation as a full member.
We preserve historic vehicles, related artefacts and records through research and cataloguing as well as the development of guidelines, standards, and education which ensure that authentic examples of our automotive past are available for future generations
We protect the responsible use of historic vehicles through legislative monitoring, the development of recommended policies, specific supportive action and effective relations with national and international authorities.
The SFHV succeeded in initiating the registration of historic vehicles for a short period of time. An action plan for amending the legal provisions governing the status of historical vehicles has also been drafted. In January 2015, the Ministry of Construction, Traffic and Infrastructure accepts our request and forwards it for realization.
A historic vehicle as a mechanically propelled road vehicle for use on roads:
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- which is at least 30 years old;
- which is preserved and maintained in a historically correct condition;
- which is not generally used as means of daily transport;
- and which is therefore a part of our technical and cultural heritage.
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In many countries this definition already functions as a compass for vehicle-related legislation and for vehicle registration, and it also has been echoed in EU legislation (the Roadworthiness Directive 2014/45/EU).
Historic vehicles are part of Serbia’s motoring heritage
Owners and museums in Serbia preserve thousands of vehicles that reflect the motoring history of the country, and they also cherish imported vehicles that give evidence of the importance of design and technical development in the motoring revolution that took place worldwide in the past 100 years, and even before.
The use of these vehicles on public roads, in general not for common transport purposes but mostly for taking part in events and tourism, is not only a joy for the drivers and passengers, but for the public in general. Like most people love to admire historic buildings and monuments in cities and villages, they also are very pleased to see the vehicles they remember from the past or from their dreams, on our city and country side roads.
Historic vehicles need a regulatory framework
The best guarantee for protection and preservation is to recognize them as a special category within the categories of road vehicles that are dealt with in legislation, not only in Serbia but in most places, like passenger cars, motorcycles, trucks etc..; …;
SSIV represents the interests of all historic vehicles in each of these vehicle categories.
Registration of historic vehicles
Once historic vehicles will be registered it is easier to treat them differently, if justified and necessary in order to avoid that the ownership and use of these vehicles will be negatively impacted by regulations and requirements that are focused on vehicles that basically are just means of transport.
In this respect it is important to note that the use of these vehicles is very limited, in average 1000 to 2000 km annually for passenger cars, so roughly not more than 10% of the average mileage of the modern passenger car park. The use is also very different. They are hardly used for rush hour commuting, most distances are made on scenic country roads. On top of this, the percentage of historic vehicles in the total vehicle population is a very low figure (less than 1.5% average in Europe).
Taxation
The FIVA data base shows that in most countries there is a beneficial tax regime for historic vehicles. This is because of the limited and different use, that we referred to earlier. In this respect it is interesting to point out that the historic vehicle movement in fact adds to tax revenues, because it is the driver of a considerable business sector that creates value for the economy of the country.
This sector is not only about trade or insurance, but also about specialized restoration and maintenance companies. It is a sector that generates a lot of jobs, many of them with a high
level of specialty and offering interesting opportunities for younger people too.
Another important aspect to note is that tourism profits as well, because of all the events organized by clubs and professional organizers.
Vehicle inspections
Historic vehicles are only used sporadically, but they are maintained very well, because good maintenance is essential for the preservation of the vehicle, and also because most owners have fun in doing this.
Scientific research (done in Germany) and insurance company statistics show that historic vehicles are relatively much less involved in accidents than modern vehicles.
Scientific research (done in Germany) and insurance company statistics show that historic vehicles are relatively much less involved in accidents than modern vehicles. These are only some of the good reasons why, in many countries, historic vehicles are exempted from periodic testing or are subject to less frequent vehicle inspections. Most checks, where carried out, are done on the basis of the requirements that were in place when the vehicle was registered for the first time.
License plates
The issuing of special license plates can contribute positively to the preservation of historic vehicles and also to our objective of keeping these vehicles on the public roads; they show to other motorists that the vehicle is a special one, a vehicle worth to preserve, a vehicle that attracts admiration. Often these special license plates are in the style of the plates of the past, and this aspect adds to the authenticity of the vehicle.
The information and ideas we have shared with you in this document hopefully will convince you that it is very worthwhile to develop in Serbia a policy aimed at the preservation of historic vehicles as part of its cultural heritage, and therefore to create the regulatory framework necessary for enabling that historic vehicles will continue to enrich the streets and roads of Serbia, to the benefit of your country as a whole.
