Key facts
- Ed Sheeran was fined for failing to insure his 1966 Aston Martin.
- The car has been undergoing restoration and conversion to electric since 2021.
- Sheeran believed the workshop's insurance covered the vehicle.
- He was convicted of keeping an uninsured vehicle.
- The fine amounted to £666, with additional costs and a victim surcharge.
Ed Sheeran has been fined by a court after failing to insure his classic 1966 Aston Martin while it was undergoing restoration and conversion to an electric vehicle. The singer admitted to Bradford Magistrates' Court that he believed the workshop's insurance covered the car, which has been off the road and within the control of Aston Workshop Ltd since 2021.
Despite his belief that the workshop's comprehensive motor trade and road risk insurance policies were sufficient, the DVLA identified that the vehicle was not insured. Sheeran was convicted of keeping a motor vehicle that does not meet insurance requirements. Magistrate Jacqueline Whittle ordered him to pay a £666 fine, along with £100 in costs and a £266 victim surcharge.
Sheeran, who was awarded an MBE in 2017, stated that he never received an initial offer of an out-of-court fine from the DVLA. He explained that the vehicle has been inoperable since 2021 and was declared off-road with a SORN notice. He emphasized that this was a genuine administrative misunderstanding rather than a deliberate disregard for insurance obligations.