Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[colwyn500]

This is a quote from the DVLA posted by Michael 1703.

I can confirm that the Agency will continue to allow pre-1960 vehicles to either transfer or retain their registration mark using the current cherished transfer scheme provided a voluntary MoT has been passed. This is to ensure that vehicles are still in existence and prevent potential fraudulent claims for attractive marks.

Does anyone agree with me that ideally, no historic car should have its original registration number transferred?

[clan chieftain]

Couldnt agree more. It ruins the car.You can even tell a mile away that an old car has an age related plate. I had a 54 Hereford years ago on a B plate. I eventually sold it on.
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The Clan Chieftain

[Roger-hatchy]

I agree registration theft is the pits.

I have tried to get my car registration locked to the car to no avail.

There has been a few attempts to try and use my number over the years while it was 'boxed'

DVLA contacted me on more than one occasion to confirm the car was still in my possession.

[ukdave2002]

I agree in an ideal world the plate should stay with the car as its part of the history. However I met a chap a show who had sold his plate to fund the restoration. It did make me question, whats worse; a car off the road deteriorating, but with its original reg, or a car restored and back on the road with an age related plate?

I also read about someone who's registration soared in value when a manufacturer created a model that his reg described perfectly! he sold it, they say everyone has a price! , hand on heart can you honestly say you would never do it fair play if you can, but if someone offered me £50k for one of my plates I think I may struggle to do the honourable thing

I'm pleased that the DVLA is still insisting that the car has to have a valid MOT to transfer the plate, as it will prevent what would almost certainly have been a mass stripping of plates from vehicles that are off the road.

Dave

[Ironhead]

as a skint 17y.o.,the only way i could get my broken down Matchless combo back from the south coast to the midlands,was to do a deal with my dad and transfer the reg.no.to his car...got a better number allocated as well .years later,after a divorce,the only way i could keep my BSA was to sell it's number.

[colwyn500]

[Peter_L]

Maybe it is time to rethink the whole number plate issue.

Here in Manitoba, the Licence Plate is allocated to the vehicle's owner. The vehicle that one has is then assigned to the plate & the owner.

So I have the same plate that I had 10 years ago, when I moved here, and some folk have the same plate they had 40+ years ago.

We are allowed personalised plates, and there has recently been two issues of special plates, for the Winnipeg, football and hockey enthusiasts.

Vehicle age does not become an issue, and after all there is the Vin # and registration documents to show the vehicle's actual age.

Our licence plates are fairly mediocre in design and vehicles are designed to accommodate the shape.

I see a few "classic" cars around with some interesting plates, and I don't think they distract from the vehicles appeal.

I accept it is messing with a British tradition, but the EU messed with that years ago.

[peter scott]

My first reaction is to say that numbers should not be transferable but looking at it another way this prevents lots of lovely simple numbers from ever appearing after a vehicle is scrapped.

Moving from this situation you make it possible to transfer a nice number from a vehicle that is scrapped but you then have the problem of "what does scrapped mean?"

I guess I would still take the historian's point of view and tie the number permanently to the vehicle but "what is the vehicle?" Am I allowed to swap the chassis or body? Do I need to transfer the original chassis or body number onto the replacement components?

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

[Salopian]

Actually I suppose I'm going to be shouted at here but quite honestly what does it matter what number is on the plate - I thought it was the car that mattered. The number of truly historic numbers associated/connected with important cars must be very very small.
I wonder whether the plate market has suffered like other markets of late?
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Jonathan Butler
Alvis SD 12/50 1928 MG TD 1950

[Rick]

I dislike the fact that when an original number goes, the link with its history is to all intents and purposes lost, it certainly makes researching the history of a car a lot trickier.

The fact that a re-issue shouts that the original number has gone only adds to my dismay.

To me it doesn't matter whether we're talking about a Type 35 or an A35, for me the history aspect of an old car matters quite a bit.

RJ
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Rick - Admin
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[Salopian]

Tend to agree Rick - of course many reissue numbers are a result of recent imports of particularly pre war cars and also lost documentation. Regretfully however the history of a Type 35 may be of more value (in whatever way) than that of an A35 - such is life.
I suppose I must be lucky as I have full ownership history of both the cars in my signature below. The Alvis carries an SV number as reimported in 1999 having been supplied new to Australia and not registered here previously. It is indeed rather nice to have this information.
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Jonathan Butler
Alvis SD 12/50 1928 MG TD 1950

[colwyn500]

[Salopian]

Umm find myself agreeing again- Actually you and Rick are right!
In some ways we are lucky our cars have one plate normally for life as my
Alvis carried 4 different Australian plates (not all at the same time !) prior to its return here.
Right off to the pub ---
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Jonathan Butler
Alvis SD 12/50 1928 MG TD 1950

[Rick]

[Salopian]

I found the Australians very helpful indeed so go for it Rick. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was when I found a competition history both in period and more recently in circuit racing.
Anyway I look forward to seeing your machine probably in the New Year at some meeting or other. It will be interesting for you to compare it as a road vehicle with the Morris. Brakes V performance perhaps?!.
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Jonathan Butler
Alvis SD 12/50 1928 MG TD 1950