This query will be largely hypothetical as I intend to install seat belts and discrete flashers to my ’57 Beetle, but I was wondering how our cars have to be equipped to be legally driven on sojourns across the Continent.

I am planning to use my Beetle to visit my family in France and also make the trip to Bad Camberg and other events in the future. Assuming the car was stock, does anyone know what modifications would be required by Germany, France and the Netherlands in order for it to be driven legally on their roads?

Mike

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If your car is legal registrated and insured in the UK....nothing have to be changed.
The only item I see is the headlights as these are directional.There is a trangular shaped sticker to be put on the lenses to not blind the upcoming traffic.

For your own safety you can add some blinkers. A fire extiguisser, a triangular a first aid kit and fluo jacket for every person in the car is needed.
That is all for Belgium. For france I think it is the same, For germany you need to add some latex handgloves for the first aid kit.
For wintery conditions you need wintertires in germany. If you do not have them....you get a fee for each tire and they can send you to the nearest tirecenter.
Btw: Hessich Oldendorf is in June 2009, next Bad Camberg probably in june 2011.
Greetings.

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Loads of info here...


https://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/index.html 

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Thanks for the replies, I drive my Golf on the continent a great deal as I have family in France and drive to Greece and on to the Cyclades from time to time, so am aware of the general requirements regarding Warning Triangles and First Aid Kits etc. I was more wondering how our continental neighbours viewed such things as Semaphores and cars without seatbelts, I believe that in Germany for example, all cars originally equipped with semaphores were required to be updated with flashers in order to make them road legal whereas of course that wasn’t the case in the UK. I wondered whether a similar condition applied to visiting vehicles?

As I say, I’m just curious really as having driven my ’57 equipped only with semaphores, I quickly decided that if it and I are to survive on modern roads then flashers are essential! :?

Mike

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I have driven my 55 Standard on the continent with semaphores and no seat belts and actually found it safer than in the UK. There seems to be generally a greater respect for old vehicles on the continent and on the whole you are treated with more courtesy by other road users over there. The journey from home to the port is always the most scary bit as UK drivers just totally ignore your older credentials and have no awareness that you are a bit slower, have worse visibility and totally disregard semaphores! Drove from Cheshire to Buckinghamshire last Sunday after VWNW and it was hell on wheels, thank god the car was performing well.

Same here!
None of our pre56 cars have seatbelts or extra lights flashers etc other than stock even the splits (of which ours have no wing mirrors either (hell in for a penny in for a pound :lol: ) and it is driving in the UK to the ferryport etc I find the worst part of a trip! The only exception being the big lorries on major roads like the Antwerp ringroad in rush hour :shock: that memory still makes me shudder !
I certainly have no desire to modify my heart tail lights as I know many people do.
Although I think I do look over my shoulder/around all the time when I drive even in my daily new car, I dont often use or depend on my wing mirrors at all but I can see as I get older I will probably be tempted into discreet under bumperblade flashers!

If you dont mind fitting seatbelts and flashers to your car though there is certainly nothing wrong with that especially if it gives you peace of mind.

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That's the best part about owning an oval bug, is driving them! of course. I thoroughly enjoy driving my '56. In America it's kinda dangerous, what with all the SUVs, trucks, huge cars of all types, and crazy drivers. There are times and places I won't take my bug into, instead having to drive the truck(Toyota).

I hope your trip went well. 🙂

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