Tracing the original owner

[stain]

How easy is it to trace the original owner of a German classic from 1974?

Anyone know where to start?

[Pie with sauce]

Are you (or is the car) in the UK or Germany? What is the marque? More info is required!

[stain]

I own a UK reg'd Trabant which was manufactured in '74 but for some reason is on a '77 reg.

[rscapriman]

I think you will find the reason it is on a 1977 Reg plate is simply that's the year it was imported, they did not use age related plates back then.
RScapriman.

[rscapriman]

I think you will find the reason it is on a 1977 Reg plate is simply that's the year it was imported, they did not use age related plates back then.
RScapriman.

[davepen]

rscapriman said:

I think you will find the reason it is on a 1977 Reg plate is simply that's the year it was imported, they did not use age related plates back then.
RScapriman.

Were they really imported that early? I would have thought after 1990 would have been more likely, as a lot escaped the DDR then.

Few options; the DVLA will supply a list of previous owners in the UK. Is there a Trabant Club that may help? The original owner may be in the Stazi files.

[rscapriman]

Yes they were and earlier I had a 1970 built Capri 3000 GTXLR was sold to a guy in the forces he brought it back into UK in 1972 it then went onto a "K" plate.
Another example a 1973/4 Capri RS2600 was imported into the UK in 1978 and it has been on a "S" plate ever since it will however have an age related plate once resto is complete.
RScapriman.

[Yertis]

rscapriman said:

Yes they were and earlier I had a 1970 built Capri 3000 GTXLR was sold to a guy in the forces he brought it back into UK in 1972 it then went onto a "K" plate.
Another example a 1973/4 Capri RS2600 was imported into the UK in 1978 and it has been on a "S" plate ever since it will however have an age related plate once resto is complete.
RScapriman.

Dave is talking about Trabs (from East Germany). You're talking about Capris (from West Germany). Importing those in the 1970s (or '80s for that matter) would have been very different kettles of fish.

[stain]

Mine was definitely pounding the streets of East Berlin as it still wears its DDR badge on the back. Does the issue of a UK reg number correspond to when the car was first registered in Germany? Is it feasible that my car was produced in '74 and sat around until '77 before being registered? They did make 3m of the things after all and my friends dad waited 14 years for his new one.

[tapkaJohnD]

Contact the DVLA, sending them a complete V888 form, and the very reasonable fee of £5!
See the webpage: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/v888-re...
You need to give a "reasonable cause" for your request, but 'researching car history' will do fine.
This will get you details of all previous owners and with luck photocopies of previous 'log books' or V5s.

John

[rscapriman]

stain said:

Mine was definitely pounding the streets of East Berlin as it still wears its DDR badge on the back. Does the issue of a UK reg number correspond to when the car was first registered in Germany? Is it feasible that my car was produced in '74 and sat around until '77 before being registered? They did make 3m of the things after all and my friends dad waited 14 years for his new one.

I guess its possible that your car may have been built in 1974 but not sold until 1977, No the UK Reg No back then would only relate to the year that it was first registered in the UK not the first date of registration in its original country or the build date of the car.
RScapriman

[Gareth9702]

The year of manufacture on such grey market imports is not always correct. The importer supplies the information and DVLC will not have the resources or interest in checking. Provided it is approximately correct it matters little. I have a grey import 86 Honda on an E plate. Clearly wrong, but probably of no consequence to anyone.

[stain]

I have a history file with the car and at some time in the past a previous owner supplied the chassis number to an 'expert', who cross referenced it against factory records and suggested a '74 build. I know it has had a colour change along the way for a kick off.

[davepen]

Gareth9702 said:

Clearly wrong, but probably of no consequence to anyone.

Unless the OP wants free road fund tax on the car for the next three years.

[MarkwG]

stain said:

I have a history file with the car and at some time in the past a previous owner supplied the chassis number to an 'expert', who cross referenced it against factory records and suggested a '74 build. I know it has had a colour change along the way for a kick off.

As I recall there were huge waiting lists for cars in the Iron Curtain countries, running to years. I guess the original owner may have ordered it in '74 but not received it until '77.