No wing mirrors illegal?

[Benjy✌]

Hi everyone! Yesterday I got an MOT on my

68' Cortina estate and I was told that I could have failed my mot as I had no door mirrors fitted? I have a rear view mirror, but just no door mirrors! I was under the impression that if my car wasn't fitted with them from factory, i didn't need them?

[seaneylad]

Hi everyone! Yesterday I got an MOT on my

68' Cortina estate and I was told that I could have failed my mot as I had no door mirrors fitted? I have a rear view mirror, but just no door mirrors! I was under the impression that if my car wasn't fitted with them from factory, i didn't need them?

Id go with what you think.. some one may be along to tell us different though. Same with seatbelts  :S

[dalmarshall]

I know mk1 mexicos didn't have any from the factory, not sure about others or if there is a cut off year where they became compulsory etc.

Your right though in saying that if they didn't have them from the factory you don't have to have them...same with hazard lights too

[accord83]

He's classed the Cortina as  a dual purpose vehicle, which as an estate it is, I'm unable to check at the moment when a dual purpose vehicle needed an external mirror from, but I'm sure it was law before a car, but the advent of hatchbacks probably caused the later changes in the 1986? con & use regs. I wouldn't have thought it was compulsory in 1968 though.

[mikehunt]

if you car was not fiteed with them as standard then no you don't need them,and also a lot of cars were only ever fitted with the drivers side

[accord83]

I've bit more time now, vehicles after 1st June 1978 ( except Transits and I think they were sometime in July) needed either one internal and one external, or two external mirrors. Your tester appears to be using more modern Con and Use regs. on a "classic car". But I'd check the dates as I'm a bit ring rusty,

[GJUK]

my 72 escort has no side mirror (door or wing) on the car.

 

I have mentioned it to my insurance company though.

 

Never had an issue with MOT.

[katana]

Passenger vehicles with less than 8 seats used before 1/8/78 required to have (as a minimum) a - an interior mirror, b, an offside external mirror OR c, a nearside mirror. Combinations of these are acceptable but not a requirement.

Tell your tester he needs a bit of re-training or RTFM!

[PaulMags]

Mine always passes its mot and i dont have any.

[mikehunt]

did it pass without a front reg plate or is it on the bonnet you cant seeit from the pics paul

[katana]

Mine always passes its mot and i dont have any.

I'm no killjoy but that is being bloody stupid! At best you may only hurt yourself - at worst you could kill someone.

You are not a f**kin' owl with a 350 degree revolving head - fit a mirror - its not cool causing an accident!

[mikehunt]

yeah more mirrors less dramas

[steved35]

My mrs has 3 mirrors in her Astra and still manages to crash into stuff

[Benjy✌]

Cheers for the responses guys! I thought I was correct! In the future I am gonna fit a mirror just to be on the safe side as it is a daily, but thats not on the top of my list!

[luckyjim]

if you fit bullet mirrors they're not much better than having none at all lol.

[mk2 mike]

My mrs has 3 mirrors in her Astra and still manages to crash into stuff

 

She needs to start looking where she's going, not where she's been!

[GJUK]

Mine always passes its mot and i dont have any.

You should buy a kit car type rear view mirror, I have one which is cureved and you can see out both rear quarters!

[Lizzy]

My 1971 Mk3 Cortina has passed 13 MOTs without wing mirrors.

Re accidents - I would never 100% trust what I could see in a tiny mirror anyway - always best to look around before pulling out, in my humble opinion.

[Vista]

My 1971 Mk3 Cortina has passed 13 MOTs without wing mirrors.

Re accidents - I would never 100% trust what I could see in a tiny mirror anyway - always best to look around before pulling out, in my humble opinion.

Wing mirrors weren't a legal requirement in 71. My 74 Alfa had never had them either till I decided I couldn't live without them when I bought it in 2005.