certificate of conformity

[chenauds]

I have a classic car and have managed to get a 'Certificate of conformity' from the manufacturers however (1) It is written in English. Will this be acceptable for re-registration in France or will I need to have it translated? And (2) If so can I provide a translation myself or, if not, who would have to do the translation?

[Ron Avery]

How can you have a certificate of conformity for France written in English?  Who is providing this and what are they attesting?  Get back to them and ask for a C De C for France in French, why make things complicated for yourself?  I doubt a C De C translation would be accepted or any Tom, Dick and Henri could knock one up, now there's an idea.............[:D]

[Nick Trollope]

I wouldn't of thought that you could get a CofC for an English car in French. Would you expect Rover to provide them in Portugese? Oh, Rover has gone... Would you expect the London Black Cab Company to provide....

If they do ask for a translation, it will need to be by a certified translator. Ask in your sous-prefecture (where you register your car), Mairie or Pages Jaunes.

[Ron Avery]

But Nick, how could Rover UK give a C de C for Portugal or France for that matter, what would they be certifying?  Do they know the French rules and standards?  Surely it would be like asking General Motors in the  USA to give you a C de C for a gas guzzling CO2 chucking out, station wagon  which would be totally legal in the US but would never be accepted in France.

 When I got my C de C it was from Renault France and I think you will find that most others have to apply to the French arm of the car company for a Cde C.  With  a non French product, the DRIRE route is probably preferable and possibly the only alternative.

[chenauds]

Thank you all for your input.

The Cof C which I have confirms that the vehicle  complies with the relevant the Eupean Directives regarding : Noise level -DE 77/212,Gas Emmissions-DE 78/665, Electrical supression-DE72/245, Field of vision of mirrors-DE79/795,Braking Efficiency-DE 79/489, Seat Belt Anchorage-DE83/318, Driver protection in frontal shocks-DE 74/297, Door Locks and Hinges-DE 70/387, Strength of rear Seats- DE 81/577, protection against unauthorised use & provision of Plates DE 78/507.

Effectively saying that the vehicle adheres to Euro norms which could not be said of many US vehicles.

I understand from drivers I have met of other more common British classic cars e.g. MGB, E.Type and TVR that their manufacturer's provide acceptable C of Cs. I did neglect to ask them what language they were in and was rather hoping that one of them might read my post.

[bedders]

The Cof C which I have confirms that the vehicle  complies with the relevant the Eupean Directives regarding : Noise level -DE 77/212,Gas Emmissions-DE 78/665, Electrical supression-DE72/245, Field of vision of mirrors-DE79/795,Braking Efficiency-DE 79/489, Seat Belt Anchorage-DE83/318, Driver protection in frontal shocks-DE 74/297, Door Locks and Hinges-DE 70/387, Strength of rear Seats- DE 81/577, protection against unauthorised use & provision of Plates DE 78/507.

Surely, hardly any, if any, of the directives quoted were of any relevance when many of our classics were manufactured. So how could Jaguar for arguments sake, give any compliance certificate for a vehicle which back in the sixties didn't have to comply with anything hardly? Or am i missing something. 

[Opalienne]

I had a C of C for a 1972 MG, originaly registered in the UK, but certificate obtained from France (I think it was Austin Rover at the time).  It was in French.  

[Nick Trollope]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]

But Nick, how could Rover UK give a C de C for Portugal or France for that matter, what would they be certifying?  Do they know the French rules and standards?  Surely it would be like asking General Motors in the  USA to give you a C de C for a gas guzzling CO2 chucking out, station wagon  which would be totally legal in the US but would never be accepted in France.

 

[/quote]

Surely a CofC is a certificate of conformity to harmonised European standards. Which is why it is acceptable in France (and Portugal). A Eu CofC for an American car may not exist As is often the case), so then the DRIRE or the "Give up" route is taken.

Or am I missing something?

But why does anyone need a CofC for a classic car? How classic is it?

[Ron Avery]

Nick

You have to have a CdeC to register the car in France, classic car or not.  To do so it must conform to French standards, it really is as simple as that. Yes you are missing something, the whole point of a C de C for an older vehicle, is that it complies with French standards, that is why the C de C is normally issued by the French arm of the motor companies,in this case Jaguar France should be approached, they, because of the age of the car may not be able to issue a C de C  and a visit to DRIRE may be necessary. Nowadays modern cars come with a pan-European C de C and an application for a C de C is not necessary.

[Sunday Driver]

The certificate of conformity in question provides evidence that a vehicle has been type approved for use in France. 

At the time of original manufacture, a vehicle specification dossier would have been submitted by the UK manufacturer to the French authorities for approval.  Provided the specification complied with French regulations, the French would have issued a Type Approval certificate for that particular model/series so that it could be imported into France.

Under the regulations, the UK manufacturer is able to provide subsequent owners with a certificate of conformity which lists the compliant specification and contains reference to the original French Type Approval certification.  This is sufficient to prove the vehicle is suitable for import and is acceptable for French registration.

The language of the certificate is immaterial.  The clerk at the Prefecture merely inputs the various numbered data fields into the computer and they appear on the carte gris.  

As an alternative to obtaining a certificate of conformity, the DRIRE also maintains a database of type approved models and they will issue an attestation on demand.  This attestation fulfils the same role as the certificate of conformity (and is usually cheaper!)