Numbers

Hi all - just wondering..... how many Exxys were imported and how many are still on the road ?

The dreaded tin worm will have got more than a few, and I expect a few were written off in accidents.

I haven't spotted another one on the road for ages and ages - used to see one (I assume) visiting someone just down the road, and there used to be one I saw regularly on my way to work at Welwyn. Both have disappeared.

Are our cars an endangered species yet ?

If some one has a frienfdly policeman in their family the answer is with them as to how many are still registered or some one who works in Swansea,The club has explored this channel,we approached the DVLC for this information for the 21st Birthday party the response was a negative
after eight phone calls and two letters. :evil:

That's interesting: i.e. that DVLC didn''t respond positively to your request for information. As they are a public sector body I presume they are obliged to respond under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, which requires a response to any written request (whether the FOI act is mentioned or not) within 20 working days. There are exclusions, but I would be surprised if a bond fide request to know how many X1/9's are currently registered on or off road were covered by any of the exclusions.

Richard RR

I'd have thought they'd get similar requests from clubs every so often. I don't see the problem in them giving generic info' such as numbers of cars.

Shame - it would be nice to know.

More than a shame: my guess is it's illegal!! Under FOI, public sector bodies are legally obliged to respond to any requests for information and they can't make excuses for not providing it unless the information is covered under the specific list of exclusions. The DVLA is "an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport" and therefore, I would have thought, comes under the Schedule I list of Public Authorities covered by the act, as "Any government department". Anyone can request information under FOI from any Public Authority that falls under the act. The request has to be in writing (and I think email counts as "in writing"), but perhaps it would be best if the present club secretary or chairman were to make the request; press the stopwatch; and set the alarm for 20 working days...
See:
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/foi/faq.htm
and
www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/20000036.htm

Sorry if I seem to be wading in here, but the Act is there for people to use so if the club wants this information it seems to me that it is legally entitled to it.

Richard

Great - so let's ask them ... Simon / Gomer .. does the club want to do this 'formally' (ie one of you send the letter) ?

Also, what exactly are we asking for ..?

Numbers of vehicles registered as "Fiat X1/9" ? "Bertone X1/9" ? "Fiat Bertone X1/9". "X19", "X1-9" ... everyone check your V5 form and report back what it says ...

Was the freedom of information act available some 14 years ago ?

Fair point, Frosty: I had missed that nuance in your original response (my regrettable ignorance/oversight of date of the 21st Anniversary :oops: ). The FOI Act is dated 2000. But Public Authorities were given three or four years from then to get record management systems and mechanisms for responding to requests in place. Those are now required and presumed to be in place, so there should be no difficulty (!) getting the information if the request is worded concisely but comprehensively, as Chris suggests. Anyone can ask for information under FOI, and they don't have to give reasons for wanting the information. Complicated requests requiring a lot of research on their part may evoke a response quoting a fee for providing the information, however, which the Act entitles the Public Authority to charge. But I'd be surprised if that were the case for asking how many X1/9's are currently registered, which ought to be a straightforward database search. Finding out the total number imported between 1974(?) and 1990(+) might be more problematical for them but I would have thought not insuperable.

RichardRR

No problem ... nice to know that they have changed the rules of engagement when trying to extract information from them Onwards and upwards.

One of my cars came with a stack of old club magazines, which in true nerd style I ploughed through. I remember one of them had data from the SMMT on the number of UK x1/9 registrations, so the info is out there.

I could plough through again, but frosty (as the font of all knowledge), do you have the data? Maybe it's time for a reprint in the mag?

It's not like any new ones will have been imported recently so the numbers should be the same.

Just a lot less on the roads / in existence, I guess.

From the posts in this Forum more 'Off the Road' than 'On the Road' :shock:

It's a shame that these Agencies (who will undoubtedly have all the info on a computer database) are so reluctant to provide basic numbers summary info; it's not like we are asking for names and addresses (although the Membership Sec might have a field day cold-calling non-Club members) :twisted:

Martin: last figure given to me about three/four years ago was about four thousand weather that was on the road or registered they could not confirm would of guest that, that was just registered as they were friends of a friends who were supplying the info free of charge it was the best the that they could do with the info.

Have we progressed any further from Swansea or towards the committe on this suggestion .

Just wondered if there were any further thoughts on this, and if anyone is able to approach Swansea?

SS :

I'm willing to contact DVLA
List exactly what details you want and I'll try my best
I'll start -
Number of X1/9s currently in their database
Number of X1/9s taxed for the road as at 01/03/07
Number of X1/9s SORNED
Number of X1/9s registered in each and every year from 1972 to 1991
Number of X1/9s notified as Scrapped

Any others?
Too much?