Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Peter_L]

I was looking through a website that "Big Healey" placed in the "Interesting Links" Section and came across this image.

http://www.chrishodgephotos.co.uk/pagecma/truckphotos.htm

Select "Latest 500" and using "Find" Look for "A1"

There is a photo of a Ford Zephyr with the plate "A1"

I have looked around vaarious articles about this plate but can't find anything really definate. It may have been lost or sold to an unknown Prince.. but was this plate every on this Zephyr?. It may have been when it was owned by Dunlop.

Any ideas sleuths. ?

If anyone can get a direct link to the photo, please let me know and I will edit this post.

Thanks

..

[47p2]

I remember seeing it on a Rover P6B many years ago
_________________
ROVER
One of Britain's Fine Cars

[peter scott]

I know nothing about this SS Jaguar except that is parked outside the SS Cars Foleshill Works in Coventry. It will be sometime between 1937 and 1939.

The licence plate is London and was issued in January 1904.

According to the RAC Car Data Check the A1 plate currently resides on a Mini Cooper S Auto!

Peter


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

[47Jag]

Are we talking about the first London number here??
Wasn't Lord Montague (the current one's father) the first holder
Doesn't Rolls Royce own it now. I recall it being sold about 10-15 years ago for loads of dosh £250,000+

Art

[peter scott]

Well, not according to the RAC.

Peter

http://www.rac.co.uk/products-services/car-data-checks/
_________________
https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[MVPeters]

Noel Woodall's "Car Numbers" has an extensive history of "A 1".
My 1969 edition shows it to have been on 38 cars between 1903 & 1951 & by 1969 it was seen on a red XJ6.
There is (or was) some connection with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Mike

[peter scott]

Do you have a list of the makes and dates for the 38 cars Mike?
It would be interesting to see it.

Peter

Quote from http://www.regtransfers.co.uk/main/record_breakers.asp

"The real story of A 1 is interesting, even though it wasn't actually the first ever number plate. In 1903, when London began issuing vehicle registrations on a first-come-first-served basis, Earl Russell sat up all night to ensure that he would be first in the queue for this historic number plate. Competition was fierce, and it is reported that Earl Russell beat his nearest rival by a matter of only a few seconds.

Noel Woodall, number plates expert and inventor of the term "autonumerology" to describe the study of the subject, detailed part of the history of A 1 in his "Car Numbers" series of books. In recent years, however, A 1 seems to have slipped "under the radar", and there is uncertainty regarding the registration's current whereabouts and status."

Quote from http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090819041532AAuw7Wy

"The A1 registration number was originally issued to a Mr. Earl Russell in 1903, by the London County Council (as it was called back then). He camped out overnight to ensure he would be the person who got it.

Here is a brief history of the A1 registration number, after Mr. Russell had obtained it:

1906 - The Chairman of the London County Council acquired Earl Russell's car (a Napier), along with the registration.

1907 - The car and the number were sold to Mr. George Pettyt, Head of the Maudes Group Motor Business. A1 was transferred to each of his successive cars, including an Alfa Romeo, an MG, a Morris Isis, a Daimler, a Singer, a Jaguar and the last, a Sunbeam Talbot 90.

1950 - George Pettyt died bequeathing the Sunbeam Talbot and “A1” to Mr. Trevor Laker. A condition of the bequest was that he use the number until his demise and then it should be sold and the proceeds be donated to a dogs’ charity. Trevor Laker sold the number, with an agreement that he retained its use until his death or inability to drive. The £2,500 realised from the sale went to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

1970 - On the death of Trevor Laker the ownership and rights to “A1” passed to Dunlop Limited. Initially “A1” was on a Daimler Limousine used to transport important visitors to the Dunlop Factories. It was later transferred to the tyre division and formed part of the extensive promotions for the Denovo run-flat tyre.

1975 - Following a brief period on an Executive Mini used by the Director of Engineering, “A1” was returned to the Tyre Division for promotional purposes.

1985 - Ownership of “A 1” passed to B.T.R. plc, following their acquisition of Dunlop. The international B.T.R. Group is one of the United Kingdom’s largest and most successful companies, with interests in the construction, energy, electrical, manufacturing, transport, paper, healthcare and consumer industries. Sales of £4,500 million a year are generated by over 700 subsidiaries, employing some 80,000 people around the world.

2005 - The late Roy Palmer of Insignia Registrations sold both A1 and 1A to a flamboyant foreign royal, the numbers were transferred quickly and ready for the new owner to be collected from the airport in two identical white Bentleys displaying 1A and A1. It is very doubtful that either registration will ever become available to buy again.

The A1 plate is currently on retention. The present owner is rumoured to have been offered six-figure sums for it."
_________________
https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[MVPeters]

Yours is essentially Woodall's text - probably from a later edition.

This is a re-typed extract from 1969:

YEAR OWNER CAR
1903 Earl Russell Napier
1907 George Pettyt Napier
1928 Alfa, MG, Isis
early 30's Daimler, Singer, Jag, Talbot 90
1950 T T Laker Talbot 90, A90, Humber Hawk (38th car)
1969 XJ6

Mike

[peter scott]

Sorry for gazumping your answer to my question Mike.

Thanks,

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

[MVPeters]

Not at al!! My typing is slower than your surfing!!

It seems Dunlop have had a long interest in special plates. The one I always wanted - MVP 1 - my initials - was on a 1952+ Dunlop (J2?) van. Commercial, so under the then-current rules, could not be transferred to a private car. In any case, it was probably scrapped before I was driving & so presumably lost for ever.

I'm in the USA, so I can just 'request' a 'Vanity Plate" for pretty much whatever I want for just a few $$$ a year. MVP... means Most Valuable Player & typically goes to sports teams, but I could probably get MVP-something-or-other quite easily. It's a bit ostentatious though!

Woodall's book comes up on eBay once in a while (I've had mine since 1969, 39/11d nett).
To quote from the fly-leaf "A delightful time-waster - I've done no work for the past hour".

PS1 is on a 3litre Rover in Dunbartonshire!

Mike

[peter scott]

[Jim.Walker]

Very interesting topic. There cannot be many registrations so well documented.
It set me wondering which could be the ultimate (AFTER A1)? THE 1 (registration)owned by Barnsley Corporation for many years and used on the Mayoral Car (and perhaps still)? Or CUE 1 owned by a local snooker player? Perhaps TOP 10 also local, which was owned by a local builder not a Pop Star? Then of course there was URA 1 which somebody called George Kenning (wonder what he was?) had on an Austin Princess? Unfortunately, we scrapped CAT 1, which was on an old Hillman Minx.
Who knows of better ones?
_________________
Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[47p2]

The Glasgow Lord provost has G 0 and the Edinburgh Lord provost has S 0
_________________
ROVER
One of Britain's Fine Cars

[Peter_L]

Hey Jim....... THE 1. Remember it well, I lived in Barnsley for 55 years. There was such a fuss by some folk when the council bought the number plate, "should have spent the money on something worthwhile

I suppose it is still on the mayor's car. Don't they have THE 2 .

[Richard H]

F1, the first registration to be issued in Essex, was owned by Essex County Council until last year, when it was sold for £375,000!

HJ 1, the first registration to be issued by Southend Council, is still owned by the council and is on the current Mayor's car.
_________________
Richard Hughes