Psuedo German number plates
Discussion
Qwert1e said:
Are you sure you're right about that? Or is it a situation where something that's legal ANYWHERE in EU is legal EVERYWHERE in EU?
See also - if your UK MOT expires while you're abroad (in EU) I think you may be able to get a local one. Although how that would work with DVLA computerised records I have no idea.
Not quite sure what you mean in the first part of this post.See also - if your UK MOT expires while you're abroad (in EU) I think you may be able to get a local one. Although how that would work with DVLA computerised records I have no idea.
The rules and regulations on UK plate formats are pretty straight-forward. They detail size of font, the font used, the size of the plate and spacing etc.
They certainly do NOT allow you to use any format that is legal in an EU country - a stupid pressed plate in the German font with German characters and a "D" designation is in no way, shape or form a legal plate for a UK mark.
Stoofa said:
Qwert1e said:
Are you sure you're right about that? Or is it a situation where something that's legal ANYWHERE in EU is legal EVERYWHERE in EU?
See also - if your UK MOT expires while you're abroad (in EU) I think you may be able to get a local one. Although how that would work with DVLA computerised records I have no idea.
Not quite sure what you mean in the first part of this post.See also - if your UK MOT expires while you're abroad (in EU) I think you may be able to get a local one. Although how that would work with DVLA computerised records I have no idea.
The rules and regulations on UK plate formats are pretty straight-forward. They detail size of font, the font used, the size of the plate and spacing etc.
They certainly do NOT allow you to use any format that is legal in an EU country - a stupid pressed plate in the German font with German characters and a "D" designation is in no way, shape or form a legal plate for a UK mark.
If a vehicle is legal in it's home country it's legal in the UK assuming it hasn't been imported by someone who is usually UK resident but they are trying to keep it on foreign plates .
EU type approval has made somethings which are not covered by Uk law legal - such as the strobing brake lights / automatic hazard lights when ABS or brake assist activates
To answer the OP's original post about UK registered cars running UK registration numbers on a German style plate (rather than start waffling on about exporting cars to Poland and then driving them back to the UK! 
) :
I've got a mate at work who has them on a very nice top of the range V10 Audi, and I've asked him why he feels the need to run German style plates.
His answer (with a shrug of the shoulders) was: "'Cos they look cool!"
Now he's an intelligent guy who loves cars, not some sort of dim-wit thinking he's being clever, and he knows the plates aren't legal, but he just likes them.
He did say though that he found it quite funny that people get so upset about German style plates on cars but never seem to make a fuss about American cars in the UK running American style plates!
) :I've got a mate at work who has them on a very nice top of the range V10 Audi, and I've asked him why he feels the need to run German style plates.
His answer (with a shrug of the shoulders) was: "'Cos they look cool!"
Now he's an intelligent guy who loves cars, not some sort of dim-wit thinking he's being clever, and he knows the plates aren't legal, but he just likes them.
He did say though that he found it quite funny that people get so upset about German style plates on cars but never seem to make a fuss about American cars in the UK running American style plates!
4rephill said:
To answer the OP's original post about UK registered cars running UK registration numbers on a German style plate (rather than start waffling on about exporting cars to Poland and then driving them back to the UK! ) :
I've got a mate at work who has them on a very nice top of the range V10 Audi, and I've asked him why he feels the need to run German style plates.
His answer (with a shrug of the shoulders) was: "'Cos they look cool!"
Now he's an intelligent guy who loves cars, not some sort of dim-wit thinking he's being clever, and he knows the plates aren't legal, but he just likes them.
He did say though that he found it quite funny that people get so upset about German style plates on cars but never seem to make a fuss about American cars in the UK running American style plates!
They can be legal as discussed at length already! Just because they are "German style" doesn't make them illegal, mine have reflective backing, British legal font, makers mark and a Euro star..... ) :I've got a mate at work who has them on a very nice top of the range V10 Audi, and I've asked him why he feels the need to run German style plates.
His answer (with a shrug of the shoulders) was: "'Cos they look cool!"
Now he's an intelligent guy who loves cars, not some sort of dim-wit thinking he's being clever, and he knows the plates aren't legal, but he just likes them.
He did say though that he found it quite funny that people get so upset about German style plates on cars but never seem to make a fuss about American cars in the UK running American style plates!
4rephill said:
He did say though that he found it quite funny that people get so upset about German style plates on cars but never seem to make a fuss about American cars in the UK running American style plates!
They at least have a purpose as they are smaller so can fit on American imports. I have seen pseudo German plates on a Citroen. jaf01uk said:
They can be legal as discussed at length already! Just because they are "German style" doesn't make them illegal, mine have reflective backing, British legal font, makers mark and a Euro star.....
Discussed at length already or not, the plates in question are spaced illegally and they have stadt and plakettes stickers on them!When the owner of the plates in question is a complete car nut and mechanic, and tells you that he knows his plates are illegal then you can pretty much guarantee that they're illegal! - He knows what he's talking about! (as do I!)
jaf01uk said:
4rephill said:
To answer the OP's original post about UK registered cars running UK registration numbers on a German style plate (rather than start waffling on about exporting cars to Poland and then driving them back to the UK! ) :
I've got a mate at work who has them on a very nice top of the range V10 Audi, and I've asked him why he feels the need to run German style plates.
His answer (with a shrug of the shoulders) was: "'Cos they look cool!"
Now he's an intelligent guy who loves cars, not some sort of dim-wit thinking he's being clever, and he knows the plates aren't legal, but he just likes them.
He did say though that he found it quite funny that people get so upset about German style plates on cars but never seem to make a fuss about American cars in the UK running American style plates!
'German style plate' does not equal pressed plate - which may be legal if complies with BS 145D AU - although compliant UK plates are perspex/ polycarbonate sandwich
German style plate as in German font not the BS 145D AU font
'D' national letter not 'GB' /'GBR'
that's the key thing.
They can be legal as discussed at length already! Just because they are "German style" doesn't make them illegal, mine have reflective backing, British legal font, makers mark and a Euro star..... ) :I've got a mate at work who has them on a very nice top of the range V10 Audi, and I've asked him why he feels the need to run German style plates.
His answer (with a shrug of the shoulders) was: "'Cos they look cool!"
Now he's an intelligent guy who loves cars, not some sort of dim-wit thinking he's being clever, and he knows the plates aren't legal, but he just likes them.
He did say though that he found it quite funny that people get so upset about German style plates on cars but never seem to make a fuss about American cars in the UK running American style plates!
'German style plate' does not equal pressed plate - which may be legal if complies with BS 145D AU - although compliant UK plates are perspex/ polycarbonate sandwich
German style plate as in German font not the BS 145D AU font
'D' national letter not 'GB' /'GBR'
that's the key thing.
4rephill said:
Discussed at length already or not, the plates in question are spaced illegally and they have stadt and plakettes stickers on them!
When the owner of the plates in question is a complete car nut and mechanic, and tells you that he knows his plates are illegal then you can pretty much guarantee that they're illegal! - He knows what he's talking about! (as do I!)
Those omissions in bold change the discussion completely though compared to what was being discussed previously, nobody had mentioned stadt and plakette stickers - yes he's a tool!! Touchy When the owner of the plates in question is a complete car nut and mechanic, and tells you that he knows his plates are illegal then you can pretty much guarantee that they're illegal! - He knows what he's talking about! (as do I!)
Sheepshanks said:
shakotan said:
In regard of both styles of plate, the retro-reflective material is adhered to a substrate, either plastic (film on the back) or metal (film on the front), so in terms of 'construction' they are identical.
I have no wish to get into an argument about the plates as I couldn't care less, but that sentence highlights where legal things can be a nightmare - to describe them as of "identical" construction is clearly wrong.You could claim they're functionally the same, but the way they're constructed in completely different.
Rostfritt said:
4rephill said:
He did say though that he found it quite funny that people get so upset about German style plates on cars but never seem to make a fuss about American cars in the UK running American style plates!
They at least have a purpose as they are smaller so can fit on American imports. I have seen pseudo German plates on a Citroen. I've seen loads of those on imported/classic US cars and no one cares at all, yet people start moaning about German cars with fake German plates.
Double standards!
NinjaPower said:
I've seen loads of those on imported/classic US cars and no one cares at all, yet people start moaning about German cars with fake German plates.
Double standards!
Oh i'd forgotten about those stupid looking, phoney US of A crappy plates until reminded ^^here^^.Double standards!
Why can't everybody just follow the law of THIS country, breaking the law isn't "cool" nor clever, it's just plain breaking the law, if you want German plates or US plates f
k off to where they are legal - please! 
sherbertdip said:
NinjaPower said:
I've seen loads of those on imported/classic US cars and no one cares at all, yet people start moaning about German cars with fake German plates.
Double standards!
Oh i'd forgotten about those stupid looking, phoney US of A crappy plates until reminded ^^here^^.Double standards!
Why can't everybody just follow the law of THIS country, breaking the law isn't "cool" nor clever, it's just plain breaking the law, if you want German plates or US plates f
k off to where they are legal - please! sherbertdip said:
NinjaPower said:
I've seen loads of those on imported/classic US cars and no one cares at all, yet people start moaning about German cars with fake German plates.
Double standards!
Oh i'd forgotten about those stupid looking, phoney US of A crappy plates until reminded ^^here^^.Double standards!
Why can't everybody just follow the law of THIS country, breaking the law isn't "cool" nor clever, it's just plain breaking the law, if you want German plates or US plates f
k off to where they are legal - please! I have 3 Yanks, all of which run entirely legal proper UK plates, and an Audi, which I have not the remotest desire to put stupid German (or French, or Italian) plates on. But I'm just a billy-no-mates stick to the law sheep......
NinjaPower said:
I don't think he was meaning the plates that are simply smaller versions of our 'normal' ones which will fit the US plate recesses (which are UK legal and freely available) he was meaning the plates you see that are actual stamped metal US plates but with the correct UK reg number on, along with 'Florida - Sunshine State' on or whatever, in the correct colours for the states plate, totally illegal in most cases.
I've seen loads of those on imported/classic US cars and no one cares at all, yet people start moaning about German cars with fake German plates.
Double standards!
Exactly! I've seen loads of those on imported/classic US cars and no one cares at all, yet people start moaning about German cars with fake German plates.
Double standards!
as for:
jaf01uk said:
.......yes he's a tool!! Touchy
As an engineer and part time mechanic, he's a by useful tool! 
Local car with U.K. registration (and Tax Disc) but showing German style plates and stickers.
Bloody ludicrous. (And this tt has got away with it for a fair while so far . . . )
The vehicle details for C3 MBD are:
Date of Liability
01 06 2015
Date of First Registration
05 12 2008
Year of Manufacture
2008
Cylinder Capacity (cc)
2460cc
CO₂ Emissions
221 g/km
Fuel Type
HEAVY OIL
Export Marker
N
Vehicle Status
Licence Not Due
Vehicle Colour
SILVER
Vehicle Type Approval
M1
A footnote to all of this. One time when I was on a track day at the 'ring there was a UK car with these faux-German style plates on it (complete with the little circular stickers). The German police confiscated them and fined the owner over €400 for driving with false plates (it was parked on the street between track days). He had to get some standard UK ones on the car to be able to drive home afterwards.
So you may get away with the UK police letting them slide, but probably not wise to leave them on if you drive it overseas...
So you may get away with the UK police letting them slide, but probably not wise to leave them on if you drive it overseas...
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