28 replies to this topic

[greatgrowler]

DC is an odd area code on that registration as it was only issued from 1968 to 1974 (in Middlesborough), so perhaps it is an age related plate.

[greatgrowler]

They changed it all towards the end of the old style registrations, this was to get through all the letters. Before the new style plates came in, in the last couple of years you could get a new reg 3 or 4 time a year.

Do you think they were wondering how to get rid of all their spare letters then? They only issued a new year marker twice a year, but because or the times they were issued you could have three letters for one year.

[surfblue63]

The car was probably used overseas before being registered in the UK. If you import a car and then register it, the car will be given an age related plate, but the document will have the date of first registration in the UK. Hence why this car has an R plate but was first registered in 1999.

I used to own a personal import motorcycle which had a 1978 T plate, but the date of first registration was in 1996.

[ibrooks]

My MX5 has a discrepancy between the date of manufacture and the date of registration because it was bought by a serviceman (or maybe woman) in the UK but immediately exported to Cyprus before being brought back to the UK. Apparently it's not uncommon with services people stationed abroad but who know they are coming home in a year or so. I'm told that if you buy a car in the UK for immediate export you don't pay all the tax - sort of like duty free shops as I understand it. In theory you pay tax in the country that the car is registered in - but you only pay tax on the car's current value, if they are a bit lax in that country and you talk fast and they don't spot that it's a brand new car then you are paying tax on the significantly reduced second hand value. Use it abroad for a couple of years and then bring it home and the car has worked out cheaper than buying it and registering new in the UK.

My cousin's Sprite however......

[cal844]

woohoo a 2003 reg sprite :) some discrepancy that

[ibrooks]

It's on a Northern Ireland plate but declared manufactured 1993 (I think). We reckon it was originally an Irish car and new in 1993ish but was sold to someone north of the border in 2003. At that point it would be an import and therefore need to be registered in the UK. We also reckon the registration people had been out to the pub for lunch or were taking advantage of the day.

Did you notice the body type?

[A-Cell]

They changed it all towards the end of the old style registrations, this was to get through all the letters. Before the new style plates came in, in the last couple of years you could get a new reg 3 or 4 time a year.

Do you think they were wondering how to get rid of all their spare letters then? They only issued a new year marker twice a year, but because or the times they were issued you could have three letters for one year.

The reason for the change to twice yearly came about because vehicle manufactures, led by Rover Group petitioned the government. This was to reduce the 'induced seasonality' effect of the majority of vehicle sales occurred in August each year. Manufacturers would prefer the sales demand curve to match the supply curve to reduce the requirement for forecasting (guessing!) the specification of model and option mix and then stocking cars. This also improves cash flow. Customers get a 'fresher' car that has not been stored.
The ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) insist on having significance in the registration mark so that the age of the car is known, so the compromise was to change to March and September each year instead of a single change in August. This now causes 2 sales peaks in the UK.

[Guess-Works.com]

If a car was exported from new, and then later imported back into the UK, then it's first registration date will be current however, then plate will be age related to the vehicles manufacture date...

Same as grey or jap imports, they may only be imported recently, but they will get an age related plate.

[ibrooks]

If a car was exported from new, and then later imported back into the UK, then it's first registration date will be current however, then plate will be age related to the vehicles manufacture date...

Same as grey or jap imports, they may only be imported recently, but they will get an age related plate.

Yeah right - that'll happen. We all know what a conscientious and efficient bunch of people work at DVLA Swansea who take care in their work with an eye for detail.

A car SHOULD get a plate with an age marker relating to it's date of manufacture no matter when it is actually registered but what it actually gets depends entirely on the level of incompetence exhibited by the person who's desk it ends up on.

[Guess-Works.com]

A car SHOULD get a plate with an age marker relating to it's date of manufacture no matter when it is actually registered but what it actually gets depends entirely on the level of incompetence exhibited by the person who's desk it ends up on.

Well that's not going to happen, because what would happen with new cars, like the ones being 'pre-registered' by dealers prior to the year change on plates... two cars made one after another can have different 'year' markers on the registration...

[A-Cell]

Exactly John. When sales demand for a particular model is low a vehicle despatched from the factory say 1st Dec 2012 might remain in stock until bought and registered 1st March 2013 or even later.
The 'new car' you buy may in fact be old, having hung around in stock for 6 months or more.

[OfMini&Men]

Could it be cause it was built in 1998 and not reg till late 99 so they just stuck a age related plate on it? or be an error when it was ran through the system?

[Guess-Works.com]

Hpi said that the car was built in 98 but exported from new, it came back into this country in 99 and was registered on an R plate due to its build and not T!

This is the reason it got an age related plate, it was imported into the UK ( after being exported without being registered in the UK ) so on first registration in 1999, it got an age related plate... no different to a grey or jap import... as previously said.

[ibrooks]

A car SHOULD get a plate with an age marker relating to it's date of manufacture no matter when it is actually registered but what it actually gets depends entirely on the level of incompetence exhibited by the person who's desk it ends up on.

Well that's not going to happen, because what would happen with new cars, like the ones being 'pre-registered' by dealers prior to the year change on plates... two cars made one after another can have different 'year' markers on the registration...

Sorry - it's not always DVLA incompetence (just mostly). Occasionally as in this case they are lied to. Your "new" car that's actually 6+ months old will have been registered by the dealer and they will have declared that it's new. Can't remember if it still happens but on the registration document you used to see the words "declared new at first registration".