Every January a new year of cars slides into club permit territory. In 2026 it is the class of 2001 — and unlike most eligibility questions, this one has a genuinely simple answer, provided you read the right date off the right plate.
Which cars become club permit eligible in 2026?
Vehicles built in 2001. VicRoads requires a classic or historic vehicle to be made after 31 December 1930 and to be more than 25 years old. So a car built in March 2001 becomes eligible in March 2026, and one built in November 2001 is not eligible until November 2026. The threshold moves through the year with your build date.
The scheme's other two categories are fixed rather than rolling: veteran vehicles are those made before 1 January 1919, and vintage vehicles those made after 31 December 1918 and before 1 January 1931. Only the classic and historic category rolls forward, which is why the eligible list gains a model year every twelve months.
How do I find out when my vehicle was made?
VicRoads names three sources, in order. Check the Register of Approved Vehicles for the listed build date. Check the Australian compliance plate, where the date on the plate is the date of manufacture. If there is no RAV build date and no Australian compliance plate, check the vehicle's build plate. Whichever you use, that date is the one the application is assessed against.
This matters more for 2001 cars than for a 1968 sedan, because the gap between build date, compliance date and model year is widest on volume cars sold across a model-year change. A car advertised as a 2002 model is very often a late-2001 build, and a "2001" in the ad can turn out to be a December 2000 car. Read the plate before you plan around the date.
Which 2001 models turn 25 this year?
The table below lists models that were in production during 2001 and are the ones most often asked about. It is a starting point for checking your own vehicle, not an approval list: production spans overlap calendar years, and the build plate on your particular car is the only thing that decides.
| Model | In production during 2001 | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Holden Commodore VX | Yes, 2000–2002 | Build plate; VX II arrived partway through the run |
| Holden Monaro V2 | From late 2001 | Early cars may carry a 2002 build date |
| Ford Falcon AU Series III | Yes, 2001–2002 | Build plate; Series II cars are 2000–2001 |
| Toyota LandCruiser 100 Series | Yes, long run | Build date, not series |
| Nissan Patrol GU | Yes, long run | Build date, not series |
| Subaru Impreza WRX (GD) | Yes, 2000–2002 | Build plate; performance modifications affect who may drive it |
| Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII | Yes, 2001–2003 | Import paperwork if not Australian-delivered |
| Nissan Skyline R34 | Yes, 1999–2002 | Import paperwork; compliance plate |
| Honda S2000 (AP1) | Yes, 1999–2003 | Build plate |
| Mazda MX-5 (NB Series 2) | Yes, 2000–2005 | Build plate |
| BMW 3 Series (E46) | Yes, long run | Build plate |
| Porsche 911 (996) | Yes, long run | Build plate |
Anything else built in 2001 is on the same footing. Trailers, heavy vehicles, motorcycles and street rods all sit inside the scheme too, so the class of 2001 is not just cars.
Does the model year in the ad decide eligibility?
No, and this is the single most common way a 2026 application goes wrong. The advertised model year is a marketing description. VicRoads assesses the date of manufacture from the RAV, the compliance plate or the build plate. If those disagree with the ad, the plate wins, and an application lodged on the strength of a listing can fail on a date the seller never checked.
The practical move when buying a 2001-ish car specifically to put it on club plates: photograph the compliance or build plate before you pay. It costs nothing, it settles the eligibility question outright, and you will need a photograph of that plate later anyway as evidence the vehicle was built for the Australian market.
What else has to be true before a 2001 car gets a permit?
Age clears one hurdle. The vehicle also has to meet the standards relevant to its year of manufacture and carry a VIN or chassis number clearly stamped on it. Because a 2001 car was made well after 1 January 1949, it needs a roadworthy certificate from a licensed vehicle tester, and both that certificate and the vehicle eligibility and standards declaration are only valid for 30 days.
Two exclusions also apply regardless of age: a vehicle recorded as a statutory write-off cannot go on a club permit, and neither can one already listed on a club permit. Modified cars — and plenty of 2001 performance cars are modified — have to meet VSI 8 and VSI 33 as well, and may need a VASS approval certificate. Our club permit eligibility guide walks the full test in order.
What does it cost once the car qualifies?
VicRoads charges $135.70 for a 45-day car permit and $220.60 for a 90-day one, each covering the TAC charge, the permit fee, the logbook and a pair of standard plates, as at 5 September 2026. Club Plate Co membership is $99 a year on top, and the roadworthy is priced by whichever licensed tester you use.
If the car passes the date test and the standards test, joining the club is the step that unlocks the rest — the application needs a club official's signature before VicRoads will look at it.
Eligibility rules read from the VicRoads guide to getting a club permit and the VicRoads club permit pages on 4 September 2026.
Questions
Which build year turns 25 in 2026?
Vehicles built in 2001. A club permit vehicle has to be more than 25 years old, so a car with a January 2001 build date passes the mark in January 2026 and one built in December 2001 waits until December 2026. The month on the plate decides, not the calendar year.
Is it the model year or the build date that counts?
The build date. VicRoads points to three sources in order: the build date listed on the Register of Approved Vehicles, the date on the Australian compliance plate, and failing both, the vehicle build plate. A 2002 model sold new in Australia is often a 2001 build, and the reverse happens too.
My car is 25 years old. Is that enough for a club permit?
No. Age is one test of several. The vehicle also has to meet the standards for its year of manufacture, carry a clearly stamped VIN or chassis number, hold a current roadworthy certificate if it was made on or after 1 January 1949, and not be recorded as a statutory write-off.
Can I apply before the car turns 25?
No. The vehicle must already be more than 25 years old when the application is assessed. Applying early wastes the roadworthy certificate and the eligibility declaration, both of which are only valid for 30 days, so time the roadworthy to the birthday rather than the other way round.
Do imported cars from 2001 qualify?
They can, on the same age test, but an import brings extra paperwork. You need evidence the vehicle was built for the Australian market, or the import route documented instead, and a VASS approval certificate applies to some imported vehicles. Check the modified and imported vehicle rules before you book a roadworthy.
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