LEDs and Classic Cars

[Gully]

There's an interesting article on Page 10 of the current (June/July 2018) Triumph World magazine about the legality of using LED external lighting on classic cars. The FBHVC and government's Dept for Transport concluded the following guidelines as to when LEDs are legal:

Front side lights - vehicles first registered before 1st Jan 72

Tail lights - vehicles first registered before 1st Jan 74

Number plate lights - vehicles first registered before 1st Apr 86

Stop (brake) lights - vehicles first registered before 1st Jan 71

The article goes on to explain that the use of LEDs in those positions after those dates was not legal as they will not meet the minimum wattages stated in the regulations, albeit the guidance is caveated that it may be possible to find LED bulbs of compliant wattage.

I found this particularly interesting in respect of the stop and tail light dates being different - given that they are a combined bulb on many of our cars, it's quite a constraint. My GT6 was first registered on 18th Jan 71...

Gully

 

[Anglefire]

I personally don’t see the point of LED lights in classic cars - they are arguably brighter, but don’t always look right. They are too directional if you know what I mean. 

If you fit them because they are less power consumption- well that is another argument but also partially flawed because Most indicator flash units need a load to work - so you have to add power resistors to each bulb. 

But each to their own ?