Would an Australian owner be free to dispense with historic registration, pay the full grand and just use their car as they want or would they then have to pass current vehicle tests and regs that would be impossible in an oldie??
We currently have a very benign system here (aided by a general wide spread fondness for old stuff in the public psyche).... However we do worry how the 'Greta-effect' and political love of income generation might effect that in the future.
Yes a lot do and just pay the money to get to use the car whenever the want. Keeping the cars registered is not as hard as it probably is in the UK, we have road worthy tests but very rarely do they check emissions etc. My car is over 30 years old now and still passes, but I make sure I don't drive like an idiot because if a policeman pulls you over and if they feel the car is not up to scratch order an inspection, in that case they do look a lot closer at everything. On the other hand the local MG club now has a Tuesday lunchtime show and shine and a Sunday breakfast so their members have more chances of using the car for an official club function within the historic registration rules.
I agree that the "Greta-effect" could change things. Really makes me wonder about buying cars at the moment, especially anything expensive. In the news they keep talking about the car industry being in recession as new car sales have kept dropping for over 20 months now (they mean car dealerships as we all know Australia doesn't actually have a car industry anymore). But what can they expect when the general public gets such mixed messages, our local government wants all cars electric by 2030 but there is no incentive to buy an electric car, and very few models available. I know everyone at work has the attitude that chances are their current car will be their last ICE car and just waiting to see what happens.
PS guitars and motorcycles are my two other vices (OK, and horses if we have to be honest) luckily I have acquired fine examples of both 40+years ago that I still have (and probably wouldn't afford now).... Good job I don't constantly feel the need for new stuff and still enjoy these.. If something's worth having then it's worth getting to know over a few decades or so. :-)
I wish I had bought more guitars when young, especially really nice ones but still happy to have a collection of 12 although nothing really expensive. I feel some guitars just improve with age and I would rather keep my old ones that upgrade to something new, but I find that with a lot of stuff. I play bass, guitar and keyboards in bands and still using the bass amp and bass guitar I bought when I first played bass back in the early 1980's, both are now pretty reliced after thousands of gigs but sound so nice I wouldn't change a thing. Back in the 1980's I bought guitars and claimed them as tax deductions as a musician, i just never thought the industry would change so much and mean I now can't earn enough to be classified as a professional anymore, meaning no more tax deductible instruments
With hindsight I would have spent more on guitars back then when they were much cheaper than now and also tax deductible.
