Application and eligibility criteria

A heritage vehicle is defined as a vehicle that is significant for the cultural history of Finnish road transport, which has been preserved and restored in accordance with its value, a significant part of whose life cycle has been documented, and which is being used and stored in accordance with its value. The register is different from the museum collection because the vehicles are in the possession and use of their owners. The aim of the register is to cover different periods, phenomena, and types of vehicles in the fleet.

Applying to the heritage vehicle register

Toistaiseksi For the time being, vehicles that have been in use in Finland before the end of 1939 will be selected for the heritage vehicle register. Vehicles can be road motor vehicles, agricultural machinery, or bicycles. For the time being, no horse-drawn vehicles will be selected. The application for vehicles is continuous, and the selections are communicated twice a year. One launch date is usually the National Museum Vehicle Day in June and the other in December.

Click on the links below to download the PDF application form and instructions on how to fill in the application form:

Application form for the heritage vehicle register (in Finnish)

Instructions for filling in the application form for the heritage vehicle register (in Finnish)

Applications to the heritage vehicle register can be submitted either
by email to [email protected]
or by letter to
Mobilia/Mikko Pentti
Kustaa Kolmannen tie 75
36270 Kangasala, Finland

Eligibility criteria

Basic vehicle information

The owner of the vehicle shall provide the expert committee with information on the make, model, manufacturer, year of manufacture, type, intended use, vehicle classification, registration number, vehicle identification number, and engine number of the vehicle.

The vehicle must have been in Finland for at least 30 years. It must be a motor vehicle or bicycle that has been used for road transport, racing, or agricultural work. The vehicle does not currently have to be in Finland or Finnish-owned, but its history of use must be Finnish.

In the first phase, starting in 2017, only vehicles that were in use in Finland before 1922 were accepted in the heritage vehicle register. As the research work progressed, first, the years from 1922 to 1944 and then from 1945 onwards are being taken into account when selecting vehicles.

The owner of the vehicle must agree to the possibility of displaying the vehicle at events and exhibitions and in publications related to the history of vehicles. These are always agreed upon separately with the owner of the vehicle. Public display of the vehicle is considered an advantage for entry to the heritage vehicle register.

The current condition of the vehicle

The owner of the vehicle must provide a comprehensive photographic report on the current condition of the vehicle. The committee will give priority to vehicles that have been preserved in their original condition or restored in a preserving way. The vehicle’s condition may be semi-finished, or it could be in driving condition. However, the idea behind the heritage vehicle register is that the vehicle selected for the register is kept in the condition in which it was selected, and a grant may be sought from the Finnish Heritage Agency for this purpose.

It is a characteristic of industrially produced objects, such as vehicles, that they can be dismantled and parts replaced. The best practice is to replace only original parts that are in unserviceable condition with spare parts, replacement parts or new parts, but to document the old parts and the work itself carefully.

Attention is also paid to the historical layers, i.e., the structures, materials, stylistic features, etc. from different periods that are visible on the vehicle, reflecting the history and continuity of the construction, maintenance, and use of the vehicle.

‘Authentic’ in this case means that the vehicle has not undergone any modifications after its service life, except for the necessary replacement of wearing parts. An authentic vehicle does not have to be factory-original, but it does have to show the historical layers.

‘Preservation’ means slowing down or, in the best case, stopping the natural ageing process of a vehicle.

‘Restoration’ means returning a vehicle to one of its former appearances.

Preservation and restoration both refer to specific operations carried out on the vehicle.

0 No explanation

1 The vehicle has been modified during refurbishment without regard to its original individual history

2 The vehicle has been restored

3 The vehicle has been restored to its original condition

4 The vehicle has been preserved

5 The vehicle is authentic

The owner of the vehicle must submit a report on the current use and storage conditions of the vehicle and a maintenance plan. The storage conditions and use of the vehicle are the most important factors in its preservation. The maintenance plan aims to make them predictable. The value of the vehicle is its historical or documentary value, not its monetary value.

0 No report and no plan

1 The implementation of the plan will reduce the value of the vehicle, or the methods of operation and use are unacceptable in terms of the value of the vehicle

2 There are clear shortcomings in the report or plan

3 The vehicle is being used and stored safely, but there are some areas where this is lacking

4 The vehicle is being used and stored in accordance with its value

5 The maintenance plan, when implemented, will substantially improve the chances of survival

Vehicle life cycle

The owner of the vehicle shall provide the committee with information on the vehicle’s life cycle, owners, and history of use, as well as any modifications made during the period of use. The history of ownership and use of the vehicle must be verifiable through sources. Sources include registers, archival sources, photographs, films, drawings, paintings, and genealogical information. Written and oral heritage information is more valuable, the closer to the vehicle’s lifetime it was created and recorded. However, the value of oral heritage information should not be underestimated, as often nothing else is available. Oral heritage information is considered to add value to written sources.

0 Blank

1 There is no information on the history of the vehicle

2 Information on the history of the vehicle exists but cannot be verified

3 Vehicle history is verifiable but has gaps

4 There is good knowledge of the vehicle’s history

5 The continuous history is known

Efforts should be made to detail and explain any changes made to the vehicle during use. Changes and repairs made during use must be retained.

0 Blank

1 There is no information on modifications to the vehicle

2 The vehicle has been refurbished while retaining information on the modifications

3 The vehicle has been refurbished while retaining some of the modifications

4 The vehicle has been refurbished while retaining the modifications

5 The vehicle is preserved or original

Representativeness and rarity

The vehicle must represent a significant vehicle traffic phenomenon in Finland. The scoring is divided into two parts: firstly, the representativeness of the vehicle in relation to its period of use, and secondly, the rarity of the vehicle in modern times. Special weight is given to the most common vehicles of their time that are not in professionally managed museum collections and to vehicles manufactured or assembled in Finland. Knowledge of vehicle history is the task of the expert committee, which determines the representativeness of the vehicle on the basis of the basic information provided. The committee must also educate the owner and the public. The history of the vehicle’s life cycle is taken into account when deciding on representativeness.

Representativeness is an assessment that determines the survival and continuity of the vehicle as a whole. Attention is drawn to:

– how the vehicle as a whole represents its type

– how the vehicle as a whole represents a particular era

– how the vehicle is able to portray its original function and/or changes in function.

0 Blank

1 The vehicle does not represent the Finnish history of vehicle use

2 The vehicle is of minor importance in Finnish vehicle history

3 The vehicle is a typical representative of its lifetime in Finland

4 The vehicle represents a significant phenomenon of Finnish national, regional, or local history as a vehicle type

5 The vehicle is very significant for the national, regional, or local history of Finland in terms of its history

0 Blank

1 The vehicle is generic, and the survival of similar vehicles in Finland is guaranteed

2 The vehicle is rare, but there are similar vehicles in professionally managed museum collections

3 The vehicle is rare in Finland

4 The vehicle type (model, etc.) is in danger of disappearing from Finland

5 The vehicle is unique in Finland, and its preservation is a priority