There has been a fair amount already written about this with some confusion on dates for eligibility (from 1st of April 40 years after car registered for example, etc etc) so here is my personal experience on it.
My first request to get Daisy - my 911SC - registered with the DVLA in the Historic Vehicle Class back in October 2020 was refused as they did not bother to look at the date of production of the car (Daisy was first registered in June 1980).
So I sent it again a couple of weeks ago with a carefully written letter explaining that the car was first registered in June 1980 indeed but came of the assembly line in 1979 (with a copy of the Porsche Certificate of Production as proof) and therefore was eligible for Historic Vehicle Class as per the legislation in place.
Waited a few weeks and today in the post, updated V5 and Daisy is now in Historic Class ??.
So if your car was BUILT in 1979 or before (even if only registered for the first time in 1980), you can get the Historic Vehicle Status for it (got a copy of my letter if anyone wants it as a template).
My first request to get Daisy - my 911SC - registered with the DVLA in the Historic Vehicle Class back in October 2020 was refused as they did not bother to look at the date of production of the car (Daisy was first registered in June 1980).
So I sent it again a couple of weeks ago with a carefully written letter explaining that the car was first registered in June 1980 indeed but came of the assembly line in 1979 (with a copy of the Porsche Certificate of Production as proof) and therefore was eligible for Historic Vehicle Class as per the legislation in place.
Waited a few weeks and today in the post, updated V5 and Daisy is now in Historic Class ??.
So if your car was BUILT in 1979 or before (even if only registered for the first time in 1980), you can get the Historic Vehicle Status for it (got a copy of my letter if anyone wants it as a template).