It's now the 5th September and I haven't seen a single 55 plate. New car sales must be well down! Looks like it will be soon a good time to buy a new car if you can afford it.
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Oh, it's easy enough to buy a 55 plate.
Just getting the car off them is the hard part.
-- Lee .. A festivus for the rest of us.
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None down here so far either.
The change of the numbering system has largely killed off the new plate as a status symbol, even many motorists don't recognise the latest registration.
Gone are the days of "Cor, look, an R reg!"
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None down here so far either. The change of the numbering system has largely killed off the new plate as a status symbol, even many motorists don't recognise the latest registration. Gone are the days of "Cor, look, an R reg!"
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I disagree, I think the new plates were a deliberate attempt to stimulate the motor trade, as now your car only remains a 'new' car for a maximum of 6 months rather than a year !
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Same here, Oxfordshire to Skye via Northumberland over the course of two weeks with driver and two passengers all watching out for the new 55 plates, grand total of one...on the M40 on the last day.
StarGazer
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I've only seen one so far - on the 1st at the dealer when I took my car in for a service.
I couldn't agree more with the comment about the new system "spoiling" the registration system. I remember standing on a bridge over a local dual carriageway in my youth looking for cars with the latest letter on the first day of issue.
Wasn't the 05/55 system introduced to make registrations easier to remember? My parents both have cars with the new style plates and I can't recall either of the registration numbers, but I can remember the registration numbers of every other car they've had!
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No 55 plates seen in my area, but plenty of 55 registrations for sale in the weekend papers, with many preceded by BO in the form BO55 *** followed by highly inflated prices. Memo - must find out if TO55 ERS is still available, not!
In the same vein, one of my chums is very proud of having bought a new car in the last few days, despite the fact that he has cunningly disguised the fact with his old "non-dated" registration ....
Jack
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"In the same vein, one of my chums is very proud of having bought a new car in the last few days, despite the fact that he has cunningly disguised the fact with his old "non-dated" registration ...."
Oops! Too many facts, as a matter of fact.
Jack
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I lose track of the change dates but DID see a rather grubby 55 reg Skoda Fabia in gold yesterday.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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I bought a '05 plate on the 31st August. I'd rather have the extra discount then the "prestige" of a '55 plate.
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I have seen a few around, reckon 55 might be quite popular becuase it makes a neater looking plate than 05 and 06 yet alone, 53, 54, 56 and 57 etc.
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>>Wasn't the 05/55 system introduced to make registrations easier to remember?>>
No, it was to bring in a new system as the previous one was running out of capacity.
The vast majority of people have absolutely no idea of how the new registration system works - it took me a little while to fathom it out.
Even more so when it was stated that one of the areas near to where I live would not use the PO (+) 02 leading letters and numbers - there are now hundreds of POO2 registrations knocking around.....:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Incidentally, a 4x4 owned by someone living about 300 yards from where I live has the registration FA03CUP - bet that might be worth a bit in times to come.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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saw a bloke driving round in a rover 45 on monday
TW 02 BAD
now that made me smile.
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No doubt some bright spark will suggest exactly which marques should have such registration numbers?
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I realise that it was brought in to make additional capacity, but then why did they rush through registrations from S onwards? (or was it V?). I'm sure I saw or read some bod saying the new plates were easier to remember if you'd been run into/knocked down etc. If that's the case then I'm the Pope...
Imagine picking up your new car with POO2 on it - £400 on a private plate suddenly sounds like a good idea!
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The 6 monthly plate change was introduced to even out car sales over the year and avoid a big rush to register on 1st August. Looks like it has achieved this aim very successfully.
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only seen one so far and that was a rover!!!!!
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>>and that was a rover!!!!!>>
Pre-registered to boost sales figures...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Oddly enough, Rover sales are up last month. But that's because the built cars have been released for sale!
Seen about 10 '55 plates, Mondeo, Fiesta, some sort of Kia, can't remember the rest.
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I've seen the odd one or two! One of which was a Hilux Invicible with the reg BO55MAN
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>>Hilux Invicible with the reg BO55MAN
Oh, classy. Black, by any chance with tinted windows?
-- Lee .. A festivus for the rest of us.
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>>Hilux Invicible with the reg BO55MAN Oh, classy. Black, by any chance with tinted windows?
Dark metallic grey with tinted windows actually
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I've seen 2 now! Had to drive from up here to Dronfield and Burton-on-Trent yesterday p.m. Saw a 55-plate Mini Cooper just off Jct 30 of the M1 and a 55-plate Lexus or something similar overtook at a fast rate of knots on the A1 north of Doncaster, running in at 90 mph by the look of it.
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Saw a 55 plate 206 minus its wheeltrims on 1st Sept...why did the owner remove them? It ages the car immediately as uncovered steel wheels soon start to rust...
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why did the owner remove them?
What makes you think it was the owner!
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Probably a hire car...often new cars have plastic trims removed before first hirer loses them
StarGazer
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We pick up our 55 plater - Grand Scenic - later this month (at last).
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.... and was the driver using his mobile phone?
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Saw my first one today. Merc A class, in Adski Gold.
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Saw a 55 plate tonight - the new C4 is parked up outside
:-D
Looks great!
-- Lee .. A festivus for the rest of us.
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What the hell are you doing on here then? Go and have a play with it!
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Adam
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(laughs) - strictly it's Mrs Citroenian's - I'll wait till she goes to bed and then try it out!!
-- Lee .. A festivus for the rest of us.
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Good man. Start yawning. Then put some football or Cricket on or something. That'll get her to bed.
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Adam
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The C4s do look really good - pity they don't have the hydropneumatic suspension - I'd be interested if they did.
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Saw my first 55 yesterday - a silver Mazda RX8; second and third today, a basic Suzuki and the Swift, on sales display at a local supermarket by a dealership (do they count?)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Saw my first yesterday. On a new C5. The rear of that car with its hideous lights must be the worst looking botty on any car any time
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I kinda like it in a quirky way - better than on the old C5.
Having said that, I'm sure I don't need to highlight the problem with my post - especially given it's author.
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Adam
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I was wondering the same thing. This time last year there were loads of 54s about (admittedly one of them was ours, but even so). I've seen no more than about half a dozen 55s since they came out, and one of those didn't count because I'd already seen it the day before :-)
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Since the start of seeing this thread, seen about 4 '55 plate cars. One of which was a Bentley Continental GT on the M60 this morning.
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I was sat behind a brand new, red Skoda vRS on September 1, which had clearly just been picked up from the dealer. It didn't look new and shiny though - if I ever have a brand new car I want it glossy, with a ribbon on top and a bouquet of flowers inside! :)
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Mentioning ribbons. On a tour of the Bentley factory in Crewe last year a colleague who used to work for Rolls Royce (before working for my employer) told a story of a dealership in the states.
Many years ago a rich guy came into a Rolls-Royce/Bentley dealership with a very large red bow and asked if they had a car to fit it - regardless of price! It was a present for his wife. He got a convertible of some sort. Sent his "minder" back with a cheque to pay later and the bow was fitted before it was delivered.
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You bought.... a *new* Citroen?
You brave man! Not knocking Cits, had one and loved it, but new? :D
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