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“The bill would exempt, on an ongoing basis, collector cars whose model year is 35 years or older from the state’s smog check law,” the fact sheet explained.
It also noted that the exemption would apply when such cars change ownership. These are vehicles, the fact sheet stressed, that are “infrequently driven, carefully maintained, and make up only a fraction of cars on the road.”
Supporters argued that forcing rare, vintage automobiles to meet modern emissions standards was unnecessary and heavy-handed.
“Exempting them from the biennial smog check would strengthen California’s ‘car culture’ by helping preserve these historical treasures,” the fact sheet stated.
Critics said California regulators have gone far beyond what is reasonable.
The document added that “forcing classic cars to meet current standards is an overreach by the government.”
“It targets a small group of people without providing any significant benefit or detriment to overall air quality in the state. In most other states, vehicles over 25 years old, considered classic cars, are exempt from smog checks,” the fact sheet said.
But Democrats in Sacramento weren’t interested. As one auto columnist noted, the state’s obsession with strict regulations has made it a hostile environment for car lovers.
Writing in Auto Wire, Steven Symes didn’t hold back his frustration. “Was too good to be true in the regulatory hellscape known as California, especially with so many politicians there deciding internal combustion engines are literally killing the planet,” he wrote.
Symes said the real reason was obvious.
“Everyone knows why this bill was killed: the party that controls California has waged open warfare on any car that burns gasoline. That means your classic ride is public enemy number one,” he wrote.
He added that no one should be surprised by the outcome. “We were skeptical this bill would ever be passed into law. After all, California is the same state which has been leading the charge with EV mandates and even talking about banning not only the sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines, but the operation of them on public roads,” Symes wrote.
The columnist even suggested that car collectors might want to pack up and leave.
“What this latest move signals is that if you’re a classic car owner and love the hobby, but you happen to reside in California, now is the time to make your exit,” Symes warned.
And he left readers with one final reminder: “Just remember, if you’re a gearhead and you do leave the Golden State, don’t bring the political mess you left along with you. Vote differently if in the past you’ve supported the nonsense which has led to this aggressive push against your beloved hobby,” he wrote.
