Not sure. - Old registration plates

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Sun 6 Jan 2019 16:53
Not sure. - Old registration plates - Ash333
Hi guys,
Sorry if this has been covered before but I’m new here.
I own there’s plate AA333 and have done for 27yrs, when I purchased it I was told it dated back to 1905.
I’ve always wondered if that’s correct, and indeed what vehicles it might of been attached to prior to my ownership.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks
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Sun 6 Jan 2019 17:35
Not sure. - Old registration plates - Bromptonaut

I *think* AA was the used by Hampshire. While records extant at 1974 were transferred to DVLC/DVLA it's possible the county council still retains archive information such as registration ledgers etc.

Worth seeing if the County Record Office can help you.

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Sun 6 Jan 2019 18:02
Not sure. - Old registration plates - NARU

Yes, I believe AA was Hampshire. Number plates came about from the 1903 Motor Car Act. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_Car_Act_1903

1905 seems possible, as there would have been a backlog of cars to register. Apparently there were 23,000 cars on Britain's roads by the end of 1904, and over 100,000 by 1910.

Edited by NARU on 06/01/2019 at 18:13

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Sun 6 Jan 2019 19:23
Not sure. - Old registration plates - Ash333
Thanks, I’ve looked at Hampshire records but can’t seem to get past the first couple of index’s.
They do indeed confirm it’s a Hampshire plate, which is more than I knew prior to posting.
However if anyone has the time and know how to progress further I’d much appreciate it,
Ash
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Mon 7 Jan 2019 08:52
Not sure. - Old registration plates - badbusdriver

I would suggest getting in touch with "The Automobile" magazine. This is a publication which specialises (not exclusively though) in older, vintage cars. Either through the letters page, the details of which are, by post,

The Automobile, Kings Farm, Dorking Road, Kingsfold, Horsham, RH12 3SA,

email is jonathan.rishton@theautomobile.co.uk (include your postal address)

Or directly to one of their correspondents, motor historian Michael Worthington-Williams. Either by post at,

The Old Schoolhouse, Cenarth, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire SA38 9JL,

Or email at, worthycomments@btconnect.com

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Mon 7 Jan 2019 09:27
Not sure. - Old registration plates - Andrew-T
Thanks, I’ve looked at Hampshire records but can’t seem to get past the first couple of index’s. They do indeed confirm it’s a Hampshire plate, which is more than I knew prior to posting. However if anyone has the time and know how to progress further I’d much appreciate it, Ash

As the owner of this reg you can make a donation of £5 to dvla and get hard-copy of the latest car's history. But I presume you bought the registration unattached and put it on a new(er) vehicle?

Edited by Andrew-T on 07/01/2019 at 09:28

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Mon 7 Jan 2019 13:26
Not sure. - Old registration plates - Manatee

There's a general history here

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_...m

I like dateless plates, and keeping the same numbers, and have two more or less random ones (I don't want my name or initials on my car).

CSK nnn was issued sometime between 1932 and 1963, In many areas they ran out of these in the 50s, then reversed the format to e.g. nnn CSK but given SK was Caithness, it seems unlikely they had to do this. A few years ago I found some evidence that a similar number had been used on a bus c. 1960.

nn WYX would have been a London number, but as I bought it from DVLA (unsold auction lot) I don't think it would ever have been issued before.

The history shouldn't be interesting, but it is.

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Mon 7 Jan 2019 14:21
Not sure. - Old registration plates - bathtub tom

A motoring museum has one old car (1903 I believe) with a A nn number plate.

A member of the public emailed the museum wanting to purchase the number plate for her boyfriend, offering £1200 for it.

The museum replied, explaining the number plate had been with that car since it was first issued and was considered to be as historic as the car. The two would never be separated. They added that every year the collection has to be valued for insurance purposes. The valuer commented the last time a similar plate came up for auction it fetched £120,000.

The lady replied, thanking the museum and stating she understood the car and plate were inseparable for historic reasons. She then added "effing hell I never realised it would cost that much"

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Mon 7 Jan 2019 15:28
Not sure. - Old registration plates - Andrew-T

A motoring museum has one old car (1903 I believe) with a A nn number plate.

As a pre-teen observer of number plates I remember seeing things like E-9 or D-6 trundling round in the early/mid-1950s. Worth a packet now I suppose.

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Mon 7 Jan 2019 16:07
Not sure. - Old registration plates - Avant

For anyone interested, there's a useful website which tells you which year a registration number was issued:

www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/registrations/reg-letters....m

Some of the less populated local authorities, such as Bute (SJ) never even got to the ASJ 123 stage by 1964 when they all went over to ASJ 123 B etc,. They were still on SJ 1234 etc.

Edited by Avant on 07/01/2019 at 16:07

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Mon 7 Jan 2019 17:01
Not sure. - Old registration plates - Manatee

Thanks for that link Avant.

It seems that numbers like my nn YWX one would have been issued from May '59, and dates my father's ertswhile split-screen Minor (OYG 7) to April 56. It's no help with my CSK nnn number.

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