Nick I have been on the point of bursting into print, on this topic, several times, but always demurred on the basis that The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency could well respond by saying that policing this concession is beyond them and therefore it will be withdrawn for all historic cars.
As with all concessions it is the few abusers who spoil it for the many honest participants.
I fear that the whole Cobra phenomenon may be one of the chief areas of offence: My attention was drawn to the practice when I came across a 'continuation' Cobra, built in South Africa in the late nineties which had an historic tax disc. It transpired that this car had official Shelby certification as a 1965 model. Now it could be argued that the term 'model' is open to different interpretations on each side of the pond. In Nevada it might be intended to mean a car built to the identical specification of a 1965 car. In Swansea it might mean a car actually built in 1965.
In either case the description was fraudulent - the car had a specification, method and materiel of construction which had no connection with 1965 whatsoever and was, in any event, built from scratch around 1998.
What should we do about this ? Pandora's box has been opened and there may be consequences. Perhaps it is time that the A.C.O.C. was consulted by D.V.L.A., as they are presently during investigations into the identity of long lost A.C.s which are discovered. Were this practise to be extended to any A.C. first applying for an historic licence i.e. newly repatriated, or with unsubstantiated certification, we might limit the damage. Any of the pretended historic A.C.s we are discussing would be easily exposed by Club officers - probably at the paperwork stage. If she ain't in the company records before 1st January 1973 she ain't historic: No ifs, buts, maybes or dodgy Shelby paperwork......
Of course other marques should be similarly vetted by their appropriate bodies. Allowing these abuses would appear to be the ideal evidence for those parties who oppose the historic concession.