Thanks for all your comments.
To pick up on some of them.
Our French friends and people I have met at the Prefecture, all French, are just as frustrated. The system is at fault, and as some of you have said, the rules are interpreted in different ways in different departments. My wife sums this up as "you have to be wearing the right colour knickers for the day"
We know of a French couple who took their 1992 4/4 to Montlhery for inspection that took the best part of a day, a drive of 400 miles. The car failed on exhaust noise, and they charged them 1600 €. They fixed it,returned,it passed, and they tried to charge them another 1600€. We were lucky not to be sent to the central test centre at Montlhery.
The easier cars are those after 1998 as MMC filed the correct EU conformity info, and can issue an acceptable certificate of conformity.
It is becoming more difficult, as the system has changed. It is all online, operated by an outsourcing company.
I hope I have responded to most of your comments.
We and our French friends still enjoy living here, even though there are times when we have to question our sanity. A bit like owning a Morgan?
Have fun
Clive
