Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ray White]

The original number of my MG TC when registered in NSW Australia was BGZ 773.

Would you guys think it a good idea to put that number back on the car?

Presently the number is KXS 810 - which I presume is an age related number.

Neither numbers have any historical relavance to the car in the U.K..... but I kind of like the idea of the TC being reunited with the number it has always had.

It is currently available through DVLA. £399.

Costly mistake... or not. ???????

[Keith D]

Ray,

The original plate in Australia would be a shorter plate than the UK plates with NSW printed along the top. Traditionally, NSW plates were black letters on a yellow background. However, as I don't live anywhere near NSW, perhaps one of our Sydney forum members would confirm this. (Or correct me!)

Was the car sold in NSW when new or was it imported secondhand later in it's life. Perhaps it was licenced in the UK before it's journey to Oz. In which case this original UK number would be more relevant.

My Austin Seven was imported to Australia somewhere back in the dark ages and I have no idea if it was ever licenced in the UK or not. I ended up ordering special number plates, white letters on a black background that read RN 1932. (The car is an RN model and was built in Jan/Feb 1932.)

It seemed a great idea at the time, but in hindsight a waste of several hundred dollars. Very few people know what RN means and people even ask me when it was made!!!

Personally, I would just fit ordinary number plates and put that 400 quid towards your general restoration.

Keith
_________________
1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

[peter scott]

You do see American cars with British registration numbers on American plates and I assume the law turns a blind eye to them so you might get away with it.

Peter
_________________
http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[Ray White]

Thank you Keith and Peter. The TC was built (25/10/1949) as an export model and never registered in the U.K.

If the car had previously had a U.K. number then the decision would be to reinstate it if possible but as far as I know, the NSW registration label that has survived from 1960 states it was BGZ 773.

When the dismantled car was returned to the U.K. it was hurriedly re assembled to satisfy the DVLA registration requirement that it be in road worthy condition. (The MG Car Club was duped but that is another matter).

The DVLA issued the current number KXS 810 but it just seemed to me that the continuity, if not the identity of TC 10030 could somehow be restored if the BGZ 773 number was returned to it.

I have no intention of fitting smaller NSW plates as they are illegal here, but the number itself can be registered legitimately.

[badhuis]

If you like that idea, do it.
But it will not add real value to the history of the car. You may have an extra story to tell when explaining that number to enthusiasts who may recognise or know the meaning of that number.
_________________
a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[Rich5ltr]

I wouldn't do it Ray. The letter Z is always associated with Irish plates so anyone looking your car with a slight knowledge of registration numbers will think it's had some kind of re-registration, they certainly won't know it was its number in Australia. Incidentally your current plate is a Paisley registration.

[Crashbox]

My 1932 Minor lost its original registration number back in 1998 when a previous owner removed it. After buying the car in 2016 I sent a history request to Swansea and received all of the info they have on the car, which included its original number plate. On looking it up it was on a 2006 Volvo at the time. About a year later it wasn't showing up on the DVLA database. It hasn't returned since. I would love to reunited the car with its original number, but doubt I'd ever will. I certainly wouldn't expect any help from Swansea if I enquired about its availability.
_________________
1989 2CV

1932 Morris Minor S.V. Two-Seater

[Ray White]

Plenty of good advice here as usual. I think it may not now happen anyway. Jean poured cold water over the suggestion saying I had wasted enough money on the "heap" in the garage. Nice.

[Keith D]

Ray,

I don't know if it would be legal or not, but if you want to advertise your car's Australian history, perhaps you could sport an AUS sticker, which I understand are used on Australian cars when they are overseas, like your GB stickers.

As I said, I have no idea whether this is illegal or not in the UK, but it would certainly be a lot cheaper than arranging re-registration with new number plates

Keith
_________________
1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

[ukdave2002]

I wouldn't change the plate, as Rich indicates you will be constantly asked if the car started its life in NI, and it leaves £400 that you can spend on something else!

[Ray White]

I am taking your collective advice and keeping with the plates it has. I have these odd ideas from time to time. I would, like you all say be better spending the money on the build.....I am drawn towards some nice aero screens.... or maybe a posh new luggage rack.

Besides, I don't yet know how much Andy at Wilkinsons is going to want to reshape my rear wings.