[bigt-]

Best I've seen was a White Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé with 'LORD' as its number plate.

[square-eyes-baz]

Saw this yesterday, without checking i assume S Type Rs are 400 hp

[J4CK DANIELS]

Originally Posted by bigt-

Best I've seen was a White Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé with 'LORD' as its number plate.

I saw that too just the other day, had to get a snap!

[mikes48]

Driving home on Friday I saw what looked like MIDGE on a Land Cruiser or something similar.

As I drew closer, the G looked a bit dodgy though, and I think it may have been a C with an extra screw head added.

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by twoodley

The car opposite where I live has TOAST, and last week driving through Lakeside Shopping Centre I saw TRAIN.
Whilst both are ok I cannot see the relevance on a car.

Could be umpteen reasons, nicknames, jobs etc
The bloke with TRAIN could be a personal trainer.
Not all plates have to make instant sense to the public in general. ;-)
I dare say mine doesn't, I couldn't care less, it means something to me/family/friends.

[nvingo]

Originally Posted by twoodley

The car opposite where I live has TOAST...

Do his relatives have BRE4D, DOU6H, S11CED and HOV1S on their cars ?

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by nvingo

Do his relatives have BRE4D, DOU6H, S11CED and HOV1S on their cars ?

Maybe he was in the Q-tips with Paul Young?

Obscure 80s music reference there ;-)

[IronGiant]

Do you mean Streetband?

[Smurfin]

Out of curiosity, how many of you own personalised plates? Just found one on DVLA which is relevant for me which I was surprised about (albeit with an added 0, couldn't get the one I want!). And £255...

I always thought they were a bit poncy, but now I fancy one

[ODB_69]

Originally Posted by Smurfin

Out of curiosity, how many of you own personalised plates? Just found one on DVLA which is relevant for me which I was surprised about (albeit with an added 0, couldn't get the one I want!). And £255...

I always thought they were a bit poncy, but now I fancy one

Haha me too? Found one I want last week lol

[FZR400RRSP]

Someone was telling me Aberdeen has the highest concentration of private plates per head of population in the uk.
I can quite believe it, I'm struggling to think of anyone I know who doesn't have a private plate.
As others have said, they needn't be expensive.

[imightbewrong]

Around here I find men hitting a certain age decide they need their initials on their car, with one of those basic initials+random number plates.

[Mr_Wistles]

I have one on mine - My dogs name.

[nvingo]

Stow Skips wagon S70 SKP.

[imightbewrong]

Originally Posted by Mr_Wistles

I have one on mine - My dogs name.

Ah sweet Does she have your name on hers?

[bigt-]

Originally Posted by J4CK DANIELS

I saw that too just the other day, had to get a snap!

Haha brilliant!


Is it not allowed anymore to have just letters as your number plate? I want to get one that is just letters(my name) but its unavailable, yet when I search on databases its not been bought/registered or anything.

[S A]

Originally Posted by bigt-

Haha brilliant!

Is it not allowed anymore to have just letters as your number plate? I want to get one that is just letters(my name) but its unavailable, yet when I search on databases its not been bought/registered or anything.

Afaik it was never allowed to have just letters. There would've always been a number in the reg. I think most you see on the road that seem to have no number are illegal and have modified the style of lettering or how it's displayed.

[Ron240]

Originally Posted by bigt-

Is it not allowed anymore to have just letters as your number plate?

As above.
By law there must be a minimum of 1 letter and 1 number.

[nvingo]

Originally Posted by bigt-

I want to get one that is just letters(my name) but its unavailable, yet when I search on databases its not been bought/registered or anything.

UK VRMs (vehicle registration marks) have had a few formats over the years.
The first was letter,number eg the most famous A1.
Then went letter,letter,number(,number,number,number) eg AB1234. The two letters indicating the region of the vehicle purchase when new.
Then letter,letter,letter,number,number,number. eg. CAB123 where AB is the region and C is effectively the fourth digit of the serial number.
This format was also used in reverse 123CAB.
Then in 1963 the year letter was introduced - ABC123A.
Certain letters were not used as the year letter to avoid confusion with other letters/numbers eg I/1 O/0 Q/O U/V Z/2
Q later was used for a while to designate new registrations of indeterminable age (ie previously used imports, scrapped/restored classic and kit donor vehicles).
More desirable lower numbers (1-9 and 10-99) were sometimes reserved for motorbikes which had a smaller plate.
This was also reversed from around 1983 eg A123CAB through to 2000 when W/X/Y were hurried through to make way for the current system to begin in March 2001.
This has two letter region code, then a numeric 6-month and year designation (01-March-August 2001, 51-Sept'01-Feb'02, 10-Mar'10-Aug'10, 60-Sept'10-Feb'11 etc.) followed by a three-letter serial.

Some letters (I,Z) only appeared in Irish registrations for much of the time. Look for buses and coaches on the road, where it was economic for the operators to purchase their fleet in Ireland for tax savings.

As I/1 and O/0 use exactly the same shape, these are the best for making words/names. Famously owned ones are MAG1C and COM1C. Lionel might buy one with the current format XL10NEL.
11 with a black fixing screw in the middle makes a passable H.
8 and 13 are often used for B, 5 for S.
4 makes a substitute A, 6/9 G, 7 for T or Z, 3 for E and 2/12 for R.

Only registrations which exist and are on an MOT'd car can be transferred. Many desirable ones will have been scrapped with the car before their desirability (and cash value) were realised and will never be available.
You cannot transfer an age-obvious VRM to an older car (eg. XX01XXX to a car from before 2001).
If the VRM you want is from the future (XX63XXX) you will have to wait for it, and buy a new car to put it on. And if it's generally desirable DVLA will put it up for auction.

Thanks bigt-
One last thought, DVLA will now create an age-appropriate VRM for restored/imported classics instead of the dreaded Q year letter.

[bigt-]

Haha thanks guys and wow nvingo, I think you just taught everyone everything they need to know about registration plates/numbers!

[Mr_Wistles]

[nvingo]

OO05 VEG on a Land Rover parked at a farm shop.
D4RK G don't know the significance but obviously is something to the owner.
D1XYY (obviously D1XIE and DIX1E never issued).

[donnababe]

AR06ANT yesterday on a mercedes

[Ron240]

Originally Posted by donnababe

AR06ANT yesterday on a mercedes

Now that is a good one.
I cant help thinking it would be more stereotypically suited to a BMW 3 series.

[FZR400RRSP]

I'm at that time again where I'm reminded what a pain in the ass private plates can be. :-(
Filling in forms, grantees, nominees, retention certificates, £105 to the DVLA etc.
Pigging hassle.
(Taking it off a lease car and putting it on retention.
Direct transfer to next vehicle not possible, it hasn't been bought yet)

[damian.r.smith]

A nice M3 with "BYE 8Y" - or some variant on the way to Silverstone yesterday.

[Ron240]

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

I'm at that time again where I'm reminded what a pain in the ass private plates can be.

I agree, even though i only do it every 2 or 3 years it still is a hassle.
I always do it in person at a DVLA Local Office which tends to speed up the whole process, but now they plan to close them all to "save £28 million", so im wondering what effect this will have when transferring number plates.
I always use the Dundee branch, and its busy anytime i have went in.

[Dodgy_Geezer]

Y4 RRR in Merton today on a Beamer. Driver must be be Long John Silver or Captain Birdseye

[nvingo]

Probably not a personal plate but curious anyway, on an age-appropriate Renault Clio - N50 LLL

[donnababe]

Saw HOR5E on a range rover