07.03.2023
The President of ACI writes to the Mayor of Rome
“Dear Mayor, the current debate on the accessibility of historic cars in the center of Rome offers the Automobile Club of Italy and ACI Storico the opportunity to express some considerations”.
Thus begins the open letter sent today by the President of the Automobile Club of Italy – Angelo Sticchi Damiani – to the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri.
“In 118 years of life – reads the letter, which we reproduce here in full – the ACI has always been the main point of reference for Italian motorists, for mobility, road safety, motor sport and the defense of historic cars . Since 1933, the year the Turin Automobile Museum was founded, ACI has been protecting historic motoring in all its forms. And it carries out this task by continuously investing huge resources for the conservation, enhancement and restoration of the Italian motoring heritage and, in perfect coherence with this mission, ten years ago it created the Register of ACI Storico”.
And it is always for this mission that, also in the matter in question, the ACI believes that the true value to be safeguarded is “quality”, whereas other associations and clubs focus instead on “quantity”. Opposing values, therefore, which can be translated into a simple rule of action: distinguishing between historic cars and old cars.
This is why we do not consider important “the percentage of cars with a Certificate of Historical and Collector’s Relevance compared to the fleet in circulation in Rome”, but that those models that are indisputable testimony of the automobile industry enter the center of Rome in time. Here the real point of principle is manifested: the only real reason for the value that must be attributed to a historic car. Because, if there is a distinction between historic cars and old cars, it becomes, ipso facto, impossible to say that all cars, once they reach the age of twenty, can become of historical and collector’s interest, if well preserved”.
Precisely to pursue this principle, about five years ago, ACI Storico in collaboration with some brand clubs, experts and specialized journalists in the sector, drew up a ”Safeguard List” to define those car models which due to their rarity (identified with certainty from the number of vehicles still registered in the Pra), technological characteristics, design and innovation possess the qualities to be considered of historical and collectors’ interest. This List is updated every year.
From a precise verification of the data in our possession, it was found that for the years 2019/2020/2021 only about 20% of the cars that have obtained the so-called CRS are included in the Safeguard List and this means that the remaining 80% they are to be considered simply old cars, perhaps to be scrapped to contribute to the rejuvenation of the Italian fleet, notoriously the oldest in Europe, with the consequent and well-known problems of pollution and road safety.
It should also be considered that, given their value, true historic cars are certainly not used on a daily basis, but rarely and with great caution. Finally, it is also important to underline another aspect, which involves certain significant regulatory inconsistencies.
In fact, one wonders how it is possible that a rule (Article 60 of the Highway Code) still insists on regulating this sector, drafted even 31 years ago, when the size of the phenomenon and the number of enthusiasts was much lower compared to today. It is precisely such a law – clearly outdated – that still does not recognize the role of ACI and of important car manufacturers – such as Ferrari – in protecting historic motoring.
A further legal anomaly is the obligation to register a certificate on the registration certificate, the aforementioned CRS, which is issued by clubs of private entities, but incredibly in the absence of any public law discipline, both technical and tariff.
“For all these reasons – concludes the President of ACI – we believe that today it is not correct to risk penalizing real historic cars by adopting measures that ignore this important difference. On the contrary, we hope that all measures intended to affect this sector , are always attributable to a very clear rationale: that of protecting and preserving the value of the true historic Italian motor heritage”.