Date: 06 Feb 95 20:11:41 EST From: "WILLIAM L. LEACOCK" (75473.3572@compuserve.com) Subject: UK registration numbersThe first thing to note is the number represents the year of first registration and not the year of manufacture. Up until 1962 the number generally consisted of a combination of letters and numbers, two of the letters were codes for the office that issued the number, the rest were the sequence number.
In 1962 some offices had run out of sequence numbers so the A suffix was
started in 1963. Some offices kept the old system for 63, then in 64 the whole
country started with the suffix B. 65 was C, 66 D,
then in 1967 the system switched to an August change date [LA: UK tax year],
so E was 67 first half to the end of July,
then F was 67 August 1st to july 31st 68.
68/69 G; 69/70 h; 70/71 J; 71/72 K;
72/73 L; 73/74 M, 74/75 N; 75/76 P; 76/77 R;
77/78 S; 78/79 T; 79/80 V; 80/81 W; 81/82 X; 82/83 Y.
Then it changed to a prefix letter,
83/84 A; 84/85 B; 85/86 C; 86/87 D; 87/88 E; 88/89F; 89/90 G; 90/91 H;
91/92 J; 92/93 K; 93/94 L; 94/95 M.
It is possible to change the reg from one vehicle to another providing both vehicles are licensed and tested, and of the same year of manufacture or OLDER, not newer. Many LR's were released by the military in the 60's and 70's, they were given the reg number of the 'year of registration', ie a 58 ser 1 released and registered in say Feb 69 would have a G plate. Then in 1983 they stopped issuing numbers of the year of registration for older vehicles, many were then given a Q prefix, unless the YEAR OF MANUFACTURE could be proven, then they were given a year related number. Are you with me so far?
If you build a LR body of say 64 vintage onto a RR chassis of say 76 vintage you can use either number if you conveniently lose the one you do not want. therefore there are plenty of 60's ser 2 's with coil sprung chassis about in the club circuit.
Caveat emptor. The LR as we all know is a big kit car, therefore there are many motors on the roads that are not what they seem, it is so easy to change the bulkhead number plate, Craddock sells blank replacements for 15 bucks, the ones from Rover cost a couple of hundred dollars and need plenty of documentation. It is possible to send the log book to Swansea (licensing centre for the country) and have the engine number changed with no formality. Log books carry the written warning that a log book is not proof of ownership. Log books can be bought, sold, exchanged in several places, not legally I might add, to give any year of reg. you want. Pre suffix reg numbers usually command a premium in the used number market, many older vehicles are worth more for their numbers than for the vehicle. There are a few pre suffix numbers issued nowadays that cannot be exchanged from one vehicle to another, they contain the letters WS as the last of the three letter sequence. Makes me feel old now that I think of the days we looked for a B reg on the 1st Jan 1964 to see which neighbour could afford a new car. Many people now wait for the new letter in August each year.
Hope that it is clearer than mud, any questions give me a call.
regards Bill Leacock limey in exile (cold exile, it was -40 wind chill yesterday )