Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[admin]

Does anyone know the years that rationing was active in the UK during/after ww2? I've also got some ration coupons dated early 1970s, can someone refresh my memory about whether they were actually introduced or not during the 70s oil crisis?? or were these printed 'just in case' ?

ta
Rick

[Old-Nail]

I seem to remember them being issued in around 1973, I was too young to drive back then but I do remember that they did exist, as to whether they came into force I can't say for certain.

[Uncle Joe]

Rick, at the time of the first oil crisis, which if memory serves was late 74 early 75, the newspapers got wind of the fact that the government of the time were planning petrol rationing. this led to a bit of an outcry, and this led to those that wanted being able go to the Post Office to collect Ration Books. It was never introduced, but stations did limit the amount of petrol that you could purchase at any one time.

This petrol limit also applied around Summer 1979 as well. I remember quite well racing at Donington Park, and after having used to much fuel during practice, going out to several garages in the area to buy extra for the next days racing!

I think that rationing might have been introduced around 1956, at the time of the Suez oil crisis. Years later, I remember seeing some cartoons by the Daily Express cartoonist, Giles, referring to this.

UJ

[admin]

Interesting gents, thanks

The latest ones I have here seem to be dated 10/71 so seem a bit earlier. Can I take it that there was rationing during WW2 and immediately after, then went, only to be re-introduced again at Suez time?

R

[Uncle Joe]

I'm going to take a more detailed stab at this question. hopefully, some of the others can correct any mistakes!

There was without question petrol rationing during WWII. It started with a 'basic ration' which was later removed. This period ended in 1950 (?).

The next period would have been around the Suez crisis, and therefore late 1956 to early 1957.

The third would have been late 1973. I do remember getting my ration books for this period, even though they were never used. I'm on thin ice with this statement, but if I remember correctly, they were reprints and therefore not dated 1973. So maybe the 1971 books were for the same period. Maybe Scotty could check at the museum and confirm this? One thing that I do remember clearly was that the petrol price rocketed at this time to something like £1 a gallon. Thinks: hmm, is that expensive? Wish it was that price today! Maybe this price hike reduced petrol use so much the books never needed to be used?

Then as I said previously, petrol sales were restricted in 1979.

Is there anyone that can confirm or deny these comments?

[Uncle Joe]

I forgot! Just as a point of interest, wartime food rationing ended in 1954. I still have my ration book!

UJ

[admin]

Thanks UJ, I've got a selection of old coupons here (including French ones from 1949!!) but wanted to double check the eras they were used

cheers, R

[Stuchamp]

I have a couple U.S. WWll ration books that are dated 1943.
Both have 4 pages of stamps left. 48 stamps per page.
Stamps are kind of interesting with images of artillery guns, tanks, aircraft, and aircraft carriers on each one.
Also have the original envelope sleeve for them.

I'll see if I can make some scans later on.

[admin]

sounds neat stuchamp, wouldnt mind a high res scan if you get chance

when I do scans of mine, I can send some over to you

ta, Rick

[Scotty]

I have compiled what I think were two distinct periods for fuel ration coupons - the first was as a result of the Suez Crisis and the second for the 1973/4 proposed fuel rationing, which as Uncle Joe mentions never happened. (Funnily enough I've still got mine somewhere for my Sunbeam Alpine.)

I'll dig out the file tomorrow and take a couple of pictures of what we have to show the differences.

[Uncle Joe]

Scotty, the ration coupons I have were for my Sunbeam Rapier.... have we always had similar cars?

[alfanut]

I can't remember what happened what happened at the time of Suez, but the ration coupons were definitely issued but not used at the time of the oil crisis in1973/4. I don't think that they were dated, but mine haven't survived so unfortunately I can't check this.
BTW if you needed your car for work, then your employer could get extra coupons for you. I remember because I had just got an Anglia estate at the time, which had been owned by a company and was still taxed as a commercial vehicle, so I got more than I could possibly have used

[Scotty]

[Uncle Joe]

Scotty, I dont remember that there has been such a thread. I doubt if I could remember all of the cars that I have owned.

But maybe it could be a good idea to start such a thread anyway?

UJ

[Scotty]

Hi Guys,

Firstly - the photographs I took today of the coupons we have are c**p! I will try again tomorrow and this time I'll try and get them in focus.

However I am able to post the pertinent points out of my research notes gleaned from books, archived documents, web sites and the like -

Petrol Ration Coupons 1939.

Petrol was rationed from midnight on September 22nd 1939, the quantity allowed was further cut at a later date and finally, on March 13th 1942, the supply of petrol for the private motorist was withdrawn completely. From then until the end of the war only those who needed a car for their jobs, such as doctors, or who used their vehicles for Civil Defence purposes, could get any petrol at all. The basic ration was restored in June 1945 however petrol rationing did not finally end until 1950. Coal was rationed from July 4th 1941 and soap from February 9th 1942, but, after many complaints, miners were exempted from the latter restriction.

22 September 1939 - Petrol rationing introduced.
March 1942 - Basic petrol rationing issue cut altogether. Only emergency services issued with fuel.
26th May 1950 - Petrol rationing ends.

Petrol Ration Coupons 1956.

26th July 1956 - Egypt seizes control of Suez Canal.

6th November 1956 - Allied forces take control of Suez Canal.

29th November 1956 - Motorists panic as petrol rationing looms.

17th December 1956 - Petrol rationing commences.

14th May (March?) 1957 - Petrol rationing ends.

Petrol Ration Coupons 1973.

August 1973 - Petrol rationing coupons are stockpiled as fears grow for oil shortage.
29th Nov 1973 – Petrol ration coupons issued.

Motor Fuel Ration Book.
Books were issued by the British government to combat petrol shortages during the 1973 Oil Crisis. The Organisation of Petroleum Producing Countries (OPEC) imposed an oil embargo on Western countries, which had supported Israel during the Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur war. Oil prices quadrupled, and supplies were restricted, leading to the imposition of petrol rationing in Britain and other parts of Western Europe dependent on oil imports from Arab states. Ration books were made out for particular motorcars on the basis of engine size and horsepower. *This particular book was issued for a car of engine size not exceeding 2200 cc (14-19 hp). It contains coupons to the value of 39 x 'N' units and 18 x 'L' units, all for a six-month period. Smaller capacity vehicles received a smaller number of “N” & “L” units for a six-month period.

*Photograph to follow

The Guardian Newspaper

Early in December 1973, the chancellor, Anthony Barber, told the cabinet that the country was facing its worst crisis since the second world war, triggered by the decision of Arab oil producing states to quadruple the price of oil, coupled with an overtime ban by the miners and the power industry workers.
On December 4, Peter Walker, the trade and industry secretary, told the cabinet that falling coal stocks at the power stations would make indiscriminate electricity blackouts inevitable by the end of February unless emergency action was taken. Mr Walker said that the government's policy of denying the Americans the use of UK airbases during the Yom Kippur war may have put Britain at the top of the list of countries regarded as friendly by the Arab states, but it had not stopped the cabinet having to consider petrol rationing.
More than 18 million petrol ration books were printed, 12 million "supplementary coupons", 20 million forms and 7 million envelopes, and distributed to post offices and motorists to beat the Christmas rush.

2nd May 1974 - Government announces lifting of restrictions on supply of petrol and aviation fuel. Although petrol-rationing coupons were issued, in the end they were never required to be used.