Real Good Number Plates vol 5
Discussion
rowd1284 said:
droopsnoot said:
I recall vaguely a story about a historic plate being "re-claimed" from its current owner / holder when a historic rally car was repatriated, rebuilt and the owner of that vehicle applied to the DVLA to have the plate back. Sorry that's a bit (a bit?) vague, the tale I was told was relating to an ex-works Triumph TR rally car that was presumed lost, found aboard and restored. As I understand it the plate was handed back to the car, but I have no idea what happened to the person who lost the plate, whether there was any reimbursement for example. Presumably the method by which the plate was claimed for that other vehicle would be the key to whether the new holder had a proper claim to it.
A little off-topic, but you've reminded me of what I think is a nice story!There were a number of early pre-production Range Rovers, built in 1969 and early 1970, many of which were registered on YVB xxxH registration numbers.
Fortunately most of these earliest examples of the marque, highly collectable nowadays, are still about, many in very good condition.
In the 1990s, the very first YVB-registered car, YVB 151H, emerged. It was, however, bearing a different UK registration number as a result of a 'cherished transfer' at some point in the car's life.
It could be identified as the original YVB 151H by its primordial chassis number: 35500001A.
In representations with the DVLA, the car's owner argued that, as a matter of preserving heritage, this icon of British motoring deserved to be reunited with its long-lost original registration number.
The typically David and Goliath-like story goes that, despite the abundance of documentary evidence proving that the registration number and vehicle were originally linked, and the fact that the number was dormant, the DVLA wouldn't budge.
I think the car owner's local MP became involved, supported by key figures involved in the late-sixties design process, and the June 1970 launch, of the Range Rover - including a chap called Geof Miller.
As I recall, the lobbying 'campaign' involved people as high up as the officialdom at Whitehall.
Eventually the Department of Transport relented, and allowed YVB 151H to be reassigned to the car.
The upshot, I believe, is that the DVLA introduced the sexily-named process "Application to register a vehicle under its original registration number," aka the V765 form.
As the name suggests, this streamlined process allows a car owner to apply to the DVLA, supported by verifying information provided by an accredited source (vehicle club, for instance) for a vehicle to be reunited with its original number, as long as the number is dormant.
If approved, the DVLA will re-issue the car its original registration number on a non-transferable basis.
More information from the DVLA, at this link.
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