Is there a problem officer ?

[RDV8]

My ' show plate ' arrived this morning.......have to say I'm tempted to leave it on......

[danjama]

Not a bad first post.

[fausTVR]

'Sorry officer, forgot that, I've got the full size one in the boot, I can swap it now if you want?'

[carl_w]

Well jel

[Fleckers]

leave it

I had smaller on my MG ZT-T for 3 years

only issue, 1 MOT place said do you have a full size plate at home, I said yes [fingers crossed etc] and they said fine.

PC plod never gave it a 2nd look, and it lived on the road for a while near a school and police station

[Tickle]

Leave it, keep a full size in the car for plod.

I had one on my Elise for 2 years. I think on the little Lotus it looked in proportion, so it may not of looked like a 3/4 plate.

Lovely car by the way!

[Ari]

What is the point of a "show plate"?

If it is just for car shows, why not just remove the plate?

[E30M3SE]

fausTVR said:

'Sorry officer, forgot that, I've got the full size one in the boot, I can swap it now if you want?'

Tickle said:

Leave it, keep a full size in the car for plod.

I had one on my Elise for 2 years. I think on the little Lotus it looked in proportion, so it may not of looked like a 3/4 plate.

Lovely car by the way!

Friend of mine tried that, didn't work for him, in fact it got plods back up more so.

But, I'm sure many get away with for years.

[Megaflow]

Ari said:

What is the point of a "show plate"?

If it is just for car shows, why not just remove the plate?

A 'registration plate' requires a V5, proof of ID to procure and the suppliers mark on it because it is going to be fitted to a road car.

A 'show plate' requires none of that because it is being fitted to a show car.

It's just a play on words to bypass another piece of pointless and ilconcived legislation.

As for the OP, leave I. I ran a Westfield without a front plate for ~10 years, I even had a brief conversation with a copper on a petrol station forecourt.

[s p a c e m a n]

I've got exactly the same on mine, along with a full size one in the boot. The only time that I have been pulled had nothing to do with the plate

They did ask, I said that it struggled to stay cool in traffic with a big bit of plastic stuck there (middle of summer) and could swap it if they wanted me to, they just shrugged and left it.

[jamei303]

I wouldn't worry about it unless you use the car to do other things that might bring it to their attention.

[SidewaysSi]

jamei303 said:

I wouldn't worry about it unless you use the car to do other things that might bring it to their attention.

That's my worry too. Small plate on a stationary car maybe fine but small plate on a car doing 75mph gives them another reason to stop you...

[V8RX7]

I just run such cars without a front plate.

"It must have fallen off" would be my excuse - not that I've been asked in 20+yrs

IIRC the fine for no plate is only £60 - which as a small plate isn't a no. plate, it would be the same fine.

[kambites]

V8RX7 said:

IIRC the fine for no plate is only £60 - which as a small plate isn't a no. plate, it would be the same fine.

The fine for no plate is £60 but I think I remember reading somewhere than an invalid plate is different (regardless of why it's invalid) - so the penalty for having incorrect spacing/size/markings is the same as for displaying the wrong number plate (which is quite hefty).

I doubt that ever happens in practice though. You'd probably just get a producer.

[Rich_W]

Generally I've found slightly smaller front plates will be accepted. (No smaller than 3/4 legal) But make sure the rear one is 100% legal, since any Police car tends to follow so if they sit behind you for a mile, looking at an illegal plate, their little brains will start to overheat and they'll have to make an example of you

[RDV8]

Good shout about full size plate in boot and overheating prevention.......will have to pass the attitude test I guess.

Thanks R