Black numberplates urban myth - the law has changed
Discussion
Just to add my 2p (The cars are real, that dates changed, none are still in my possession)
Back in 1973 when the 'new' numberplates came in, i was running a 72 'registered' Dolomite which had white on black plates(old type). The law allowed me to change them to black on white ( front) Yellow (back), new type
I sold that and got a 77 Dolly Sprint New type plates as required by law ( all vehicles registered after 1-1-73) Illegal to fit old type plates
Tax exemption If i still had both the 72 Dolly is now Vehicle Tax exempt. If to 40 year rule applies next year the 77 Sprint gets free use o the road
Now My other car a 1956 Daimler Conquest Century which can be run
1) with both styles of plates. pre 73 plates can be 'back dated', but look stupid on 60's and earlier cars*. Rather like a 55 plate car can have any plate eg ABC123, ABC123A, A123ABC, but not a XX05XXX onwards plate. in order to make it look newer than it is
2) Is not liable for Vehicle Tax
3) Does not require an annual MOT test (applies to pre 1-1-60 registered cars)
Hope this helps and makes sense
Back in 1973 when the 'new' numberplates came in, i was running a 72 'registered' Dolomite which had white on black plates(old type). The law allowed me to change them to black on white ( front) Yellow (back), new type
I sold that and got a 77 Dolly Sprint New type plates as required by law ( all vehicles registered after 1-1-73) Illegal to fit old type plates
Tax exemption If i still had both the 72 Dolly is now Vehicle Tax exempt. If to 40 year rule applies next year the 77 Sprint gets free use o the road
Now My other car a 1956 Daimler Conquest Century which can be run
1) with both styles of plates. pre 73 plates can be 'back dated', but look stupid on 60's and earlier cars*. Rather like a 55 plate car can have any plate eg ABC123, ABC123A, A123ABC, but not a XX05XXX onwards plate. in order to make it look newer than it is
2) Is not liable for Vehicle Tax
3) Does not require an annual MOT test (applies to pre 1-1-60 registered cars)
Hope this helps and makes sense
- For the bus neds the London Transprt Routemaster (RM) was built from 1958 top about 1965 and all had white on black plates. A lot of these reg were retained by some bus companies and used on new buses built in the last few years..These because they were built after 1973 HAD to have the yellow and white plates even though the plate was first registered pre 73. Same as the so called 'vanity plates often seen on here eg A1 on a 2015 built car) However the routemaster had to have an age related plate issued to it to keep it on the road, A lot of thse sold for further use in Blackpool and Glasgow back in the 90's had a non suffix plate issue to it,ABC123 ad even though it could legally be white on black a lot of operators had new style plates fitted, and they didnt look right!
^^Just a point on the date for being VED free on the 77 car. I believe this April will be all cars built in 75, April 2107 will be cars built in 76 and April 2018 cars built in 77 etc.
The way these threads go, that info could be right, then wrong then right again. Can someone clarify!!
The way these threads go, that info could be right, then wrong then right again. Can someone clarify!!
mgtony said:
^^Just a point on the date for being VED free on the 77 car. I believe this April will be all cars built in 75, April 2107 will be cars built in 76 and April 2018 cars built in 77 etc.
The way these threads go, that info could be right, then wrong then right again. Can someone clarify!!
The way these threads go, that info could be right, then wrong then right again. Can someone clarify!!
marshalla said:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/11/sectio... says "VED: extension of old vehicles exemption from 1 April 2016
(1)In Schedule 2 to VERA 1994 (exempt vehicles) in paragraph 1A(1) (exemption for old vehicles) for the words from “constructed” to the end substitute “constructed before 1 January 1976”
No idea what they're planning for 2107, but I think 1st January 1977 might be the cut-off date from 1st April 2017, although my crystal ball has a huge disclaimer on that one saying "beware the whims of politicians".(1)In Schedule 2 to VERA 1994 (exempt vehicles) in paragraph 1A(1) (exemption for old vehicles) for the words from “constructed” to the end substitute “constructed before 1 January 1976”
marshalla said:
Breadvan72 said:
Guess what - marshalla is correct and I have been chomping on my boot. My only rather feeble mitigation is that for some reason Westlaw took me to an incorrect version of the legislation, but that's driver error to blame, or GIGO as the geeks may say.
What do I win ? 
Yes, so if I've got that right, in April 2016 anything built before 1st Jan 76 ie all 75 cars. Meaning if things stay the same it will be April 2017 for cars built in 76 and April 2018 for cars built in 77.
Still a year on from that for my 78. Looking forward to black and silver plates just to annoy people!
Still a year on from that for my 78. Looking forward to black and silver plates just to annoy people!
mgtony said:
Yes, so if I've got that right, in April 2016 anything built before 1st Jan 76 ie all 75 cars. Meaning if things stay the same it will be April 2017 for cars built in 76 and April 2018 for cars built in 77.
Still a year on from that for my 78. Looking forward to black and silver plates just to annoy people!
Why wait? Do it now. Will annoy people and be just as unlawful.Still a year on from that for my 78. Looking forward to black and silver plates just to annoy people!
silverfoxcc said:
Just to add my 2p (The cars are real, that dates changed, none are still in my possession)
Back in 1973 when the 'new' numberplates came in, i was running a 72 'registered' Dolomite which had white on black plates(old type). The law allowed me to change them to black on white ( front) Yellow (back), new type
The new plates didn't "come in" in 1973. The old plates went out. There'd been a few years of parallel availability.Back in 1973 when the 'new' numberplates came in, i was running a 72 'registered' Dolomite which had white on black plates(old type). The law allowed me to change them to black on white ( front) Yellow (back), new type
Silent1 said:
Breadvan72 said:
Guess what - marshalla is correct and I have been chomping on my boot. My only rather feeble mitigation is that for some reason Westlaw took me to an incorrect version of the legislation, but that's driver error to blame, or GIGO as the geeks may say.
Wait until the lunatics see this 
ging84 said:
Silent1 said:
Breadvan72 said:
Guess what - marshalla is correct and I have been chomping on my boot. My only rather feeble mitigation is that for some reason Westlaw took me to an incorrect version of the legislation, but that's driver error to blame, or GIGO as the geeks may say.
Wait until the lunatics see this I was sceptical about the first note from the FBHVC on this matter (the first newsletter linked earlier up the page), and it is often noted in various threads on here and elsewhere that the plate cut-off date is still 1973. Apparently it's entirely unintentional - the previous link between the plate date and the VED cut-off was coincidental, prior to the freeze at 1973 the VED cut-off was moving forwards annually while the plate cut-off was not. Now the rolling exemption (well, jumping rather than rolling) has come back, a poor choice of words has linked the two.
While my car is now VED-exempt due to date of manufacture, I won't be swapping the plates for silver-on-black because that's not how it would have been supplied. Also, since the tax disc was abolished, the registration plate is the only thing on the outside of the car other than the (small) indicators and tail/brake lights that isn't already either silver or black.
While my car is now VED-exempt due to date of manufacture, I won't be swapping the plates for silver-on-black because that's not how it would have been supplied. Also, since the tax disc was abolished, the registration plate is the only thing on the outside of the car other than the (small) indicators and tail/brake lights that isn't already either silver or black.
The change reflects, I suggest, an unsurprising lack of knowledge of and and interest in old vehicles in the rule making department. There is no historical sense in allowing cars from the mid to late 70s and onwards (as the rolling tax exemption moves into the 80s, if it remains in force) to have black plates. As early Golf GTis, BMW E30s, Lancia Deltas, Ur-Quattros and so forth become more and more established as classic cars, they will continue to look dafter than daft if people put black plates on them, just because they can.
I could just about see why someone might put black plates on, for example, a mid to late 70s Series Landy or Triumph Dolomite, because each of those cars is a 1970s car that is in some ways more of a 1960s car (1950s, even, for the Landy). A Rover P6 might be another candidate. I hasten to add that neither my 1975 Dolomite (now tax free, yaaaaay) nor my 1976 Landy will be getting black plates. Black plates on a Rover SD1 or a Lotus Excel, to name two other heaps that I own, would look naffer than naff.
I could just about see why someone might put black plates on, for example, a mid to late 70s Series Landy or Triumph Dolomite, because each of those cars is a 1970s car that is in some ways more of a 1960s car (1950s, even, for the Landy). A Rover P6 might be another candidate. I hasten to add that neither my 1975 Dolomite (now tax free, yaaaaay) nor my 1976 Landy will be getting black plates. Black plates on a Rover SD1 or a Lotus Excel, to name two other heaps that I own, would look naffer than naff.
I am a Fruitloop (officially confirmed by BV in an earlier unrelated topic) and would quite like to fit white on black number plates to my VW camper. Can anyone give me a definitive answer as to whether my camper Built in 1972 as a van, converted to camper in 1973 and first registered in the UK in 1974 can legally wear a set of 'period' plates?
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