 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Number Plates: Then and Now
UK number plates have been a legal requirement for more than a century. The production of
cars began to develop in the late nineteenth century and, by the beginning of the twentieth, the
production of automobiles showed no signs of slowing down. As a result, many areas began
issuing registrations by the end of 1903 and, on 1st January 1904, the display of a number
plate became mandatory.
The Role of a Vehicle Registration
Today, one of the key characteristics of a number plate is its age identifier. However,
registrations did not convey a vehicle’s year of manufacture until 1963. Before this, the sole
function of a number plate was to provide a means of identification. With the growth of vehicles
on the road, it was important that they could be traceable in the event of accidents and violation
of the law.
While identification will always be the primary role of a number plate, they now also serve as a
way of signifying a vehicle’s age. However, this said, the popularity of personalised number
plates is constantly increasing. As well as disguising the age of one’s vehicle, they also allow
an owner to show some personality, or promote a company. Private registrations are also big
business for those looking to invest.
How the UK System Has Developed
From 1903 to 1963, car registrations contained a letter code, signifying the issuing authority
and a sequential identification number. Until 1932, the sequence for these ran from A1 to
YY9999. This was then extended to contain more letters and numbers in order to
accommodate the increasing number of vehicles being produced. By the 1950s, when more
and more drivers were appearing, a reversal of the format had to take place in some areas.
1963 saw the start of age identifiers in registrations. The original system’s possible
combinations were coming to a close so a new system, which contained an age identifying
letter at the end of the registration, was set up. In the first year of the “suffix system”, the letter
“A” indicated that the vehicle was manufactured in 1963, and so on alphabetically through the
years.
Due to advances in technology, 1974 saw a big change. Previously held in manual form by local
authorities, it was now possible to use a central computer system to hold vehicle records. A
central office, the DVLC (now the DVLA), was set up in Swansea, with local offices given the
responsibility of registering new vehicles.
Due to the need to cope with more vehicles, the suffix system had to be reversed in 1984. The
format of reversal was adopted once again. Therefore, the first letter of a new vehicle’s
registration signified the year of manufacture.
The current system, introduced in September 2001, includes a two-letter regional identifier and
an age identifying number, followed by three random letters. Issue dates occur in March and
September, with the number 0 signifying a March issue date, and 5 for September. The second
number denotes the year. Therefore, a registration issued in September 2007 would contain
the number 57.
Personalised Registrations
Although more popular a trend today, the desire for a unique registration dates back to the
commencement of the number plates system. Lord Earl Russell queued all night outside London’
s CC offices in order to obtain the prestigious A 1 registration in 1903. Today, ageless plates
such as this are highly valuable due to their attractive, succinct characteristics and rarity.
Although some may disagree with breaking the link between a number plate and its original
owner, one must consider that many older registrations were destroyed along with the vehicles
that carried them. Therefore, those that have survived only do so because they are re-issued
onto newer cars. While a car’s life does inevitably have to end, surely one of the attractions of
a number plate is that it can live forever!
Information supplied by number plates supplier, Regtransfers",
UK number plates have been a legal requirement for more than a century. The production of
cars began to develop in the late nineteenth century and, by the beginning of the twentieth, the
production of automobiles showed no signs of slowing down. As a result, many areas began
issuing registrations by the end of 1903 and, on 1st January 1904, the display of a number
plate became mandatory.
The Role of a Vehicle Registration
Today, one of the key characteristics of a number plate is its age identifier. However,
registrations did not convey a vehicle’s year of manufacture until 1963. Before this, the sole
function of a number plate was to provide a means of identification. With the growth of vehicles
on the road, it was important that they could be traceable in the event of accidents and violation
of the law.
While identification will always be the primary role of a number plate, they now also serve as a
way of signifying a vehicle’s age. However, this said, the popularity of personalised number
plates is constantly increasing. As well as disguising the age of one’s vehicle, they also allow
an owner to show some personality, or promote a company. Private registrations are also big
business for those looking to invest.
How the UK System Has Developed
From 1903 to 1963, car registrations contained a letter code, signifying the issuing authority
and a sequential identification number. Until 1932, the sequence for these ran from A1 to
YY9999. This was then extended to contain more letters and numbers in order to
accommodate the increasing number of vehicles being produced. By the 1950s, when more
and more drivers were appearing, a reversal of the format had to take place in some areas.
1963 saw the start of age identifiers in registrations. The original system’s possible
combinations were coming to a close so a new system, which contained an age identifying
letter at the end of the registration, was set up. In the first year of the “suffix system”, the letter
“A” indicated that the vehicle was manufactured in 1963, and so on alphabetically through the
years.
Due to advances in technology, 1974 saw a big change. Previously held in manual form by local
authorities, it was now possible to use a central computer system to hold vehicle records. A
central office, the DVLC (now the DVLA), was set up in Swansea, with local offices given the
responsibility of registering new vehicles.
Due to the need to cope with more vehicles, the suffix system had to be reversed in 1984. The
format of reversal was adopted once again. Therefore, the first letter of a new vehicle’s
registration signified the year of manufacture.
The current system, introduced in September 2001, includes a two-letter regional identifier and
an age identifying number, followed by three random letters. Issue dates occur in March and
September, with the number 0 signifying a March issue date, and 5 for September. The second
number denotes the year. Therefore, a registration issued in September 2007 would contain
the number 57.
Personalised Registrations
Although more popular a trend today, the desire for a unique registration dates back to the
commencement of the number plates system. Lord Earl Russell queued all night outside London’
s CC offices in order to obtain the prestigious A 1 registration in 1903. Today, ageless plates
such as this are highly valuable due to their attractive, succinct characteristics and rarity.
Although some may disagree with breaking the link between a number plate and its original
owner, one must consider that many older registrations were destroyed along with the vehicles
that carried them. Therefore, those that have survived only do so because they are re-issued
onto newer cars. While a car’s life does inevitably have to end, surely one of the attractions of
a number plate is that it can live forever!
Information supplied by number plates supplier, Regtransfers",
