ABC 1234 plates?

[FunkyNige]

In the past few years, I have seen an increasing amount of number plates with the form ABC 1234 instead of the usual AB03 CDE, what gives?

Most of them are HIL ???? but I have no idea where they are all coming from, anyone know?

[kenp]

Halfords?

[tim.tonal]

Northern Ireland I think.

[V8 Archie]

Most NI plates contain a "Z" or a "Q", but I think there must be more and more that don't now.

[Size Nine Elm]

IIRC there was a period between the 'ABC 123' and '123 ABC' plates, but before the annual letters, when 'ABC 1234' style was used - apart from the NI plates.

I wouldn't have thought they were still issued, unless someone has discovered a stash of old ones and reissued them

[Dwight VanDriver]

The number and layout is one permitted for issue only for N Ireland registered vehicles(Rv Display of Reg Marks Regs 2001). But I understand they can be used if vehicle bought and used in UK. Likewise as a prat plate.

I understand also across there that they have not as yet adopted the GB scheme of having the County ID, Age ID and three random letters on initial registration.

DVD

[tvrgit]

DVD you're right.

The letters seem to denote the registration area, so over therr, they can tell where a car is from (and its age apparently) from the ABC 1234 registration - I don't know how though - I just know that one of my friends noted that the car I was driving was pretty old for a hire car (ok he could have guessed the "hire car" bit but he said he could tell from the place itr was registered).

[TripleS]

A few years ago in the Scarborough area I saw a few plates of the style 11L 1234. Several of these were on buses but I also saw one on a Porsche.

Has anyone else seen that type of plate and know what they are about?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[towman]

As said before, they are NI plates. A huge job lot was sold off to the trade. They now form the £99 bargain bucket end of the market. Because they are so cheap, they are very common on buses/coaches where the operator has a nice looking coach which is old (why does my kids` school bus spring to mind)

They are the ultimate nasty plate (unless they are your initials of course) - It screams "I wanted a personal plate but I could only spare £99".

[gilbertd]

As someone has already pointed out, on the old style plate the last two letters signify where the car was registered (local ones for me where EG, AV, FL amongst others). Most Northern Ireland plates were I something with B and L being the most common. So you'll see a lot of OIL, BIL, JIL GIL, etc plates. You can pick these up for not a lot at all if you think you can make an old dog look newer by losing the age related plate. What you actually do is shout, "Look, I've got an old dog of a car I'm trying to make look newer/more expensive than it really is".

For this reason, I suggested that my missus didn't get a JIL plate (even though she is called Jill) for her 944!

[edc]

Are you sure they are not 'diplomatic' plates?

[jjr1]

They are NI plates and thos ones that start Bil Cil Dil etc etc are Fermanagh plates ie *il 1234

I personally, if I didn't have a very exclusive and important look at me type plate, would want the JJI 1234 plates where I would stick the 'I' over to the right and get a two digit one. Then I would have JJ I2 or something similar which is my initials.