Car registration numbers

Maurice Thepity
Maurice Thepity Posts: 75
edited January 2010 in The bottom bracket
What is going to happen to car number plates this year. Are they going to add an extra digit so it's 010, 510, 011 and so on?

Comments

  • northernneil
    northernneil Posts: 1,549
    60 and 10, I think
  • antooony
    antooony Posts: 177
    I remember being a yoof some many many years ago having bets with my mate on who would spot the first new reg car on sept 1st....1975...
  • nwallace
    nwallace Posts: 1,465
    northernneil wrote:
    60 and 10, I think

    Yeah,
    Origin is 0
    March is Origin + 2 digit year
    September is Origin + 50 + 2 digit year

    Runs out of combinations in 2050, although there is probably no reason not to recycle numbers as very few vehicles in the UK make it to 10 Y/O let alone 50 Y/O
    Do Nellyphants count?

    Commuter: FCN 9
    Cheapo Roadie: FCN 5
    Off Road: FCN 11

    +1 when I don't get round to shaving for x days
  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    A really good idea would be to have 00 for 2000, 01 for 2001, 02 for 2002 etc with a single identifier for each year, starting Jan 1 (or Apr 1 if the tax considerations are too important). This would run out in 2099. What is wrong with logic and simplicity these days?
  • DrewDubya
    DrewDubya Posts: 35
    GiantMike wrote:
    A really good idea would be to have 00 for 2000, 01 for 2001, 02 for 2002 etc with a single identifier for each year, starting Jan 1 (or Apr 1 if the tax considerations are too important). This would run out in 2099. What is wrong with logic and simplicity these days?
    This was in fact the previous system where the letter denoted the year of registration, and progressed every September 1st.

    The reason for now haivng two changes every year is that th individual change caused a massive flux in the market with a large peak in September, and other quiet spells - which was detrimental to car businessess. Introduction of two changes of registration code significantly reduced the effect of this.
  • mr_hippo
    mr_hippo Posts: 1,051
    The old system (eg ABC 123 A) started in 1963 and did run from Jan 1st to Dec 31st. I think it was The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) who campaigned to get the year start date changed to Aug 1st because of low car sales around Christmas. It was changed in 1967 - year letter 'E' only ran from 1/1/67 to 31/7/67.

Categories