Why Can't We Fit Newer Plates To Older Cars ?
Discussion
I understand the basic principal and that new digits help sell cars but after they are 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 years old surely that's irrelevant.
With all the "Cherished" plates around I can't see that it matters.
My issue is I have a lovely L reg car and I've found a great plate for it but it starts with an M currently the rules say I can't fit it but WHY have we got these rules ?
If I sell it the V5 clearly states it's year and it currently has a B plate on it anyway.
Seems a hugely outdated rule.
With all the "Cherished" plates around I can't see that it matters.
My issue is I have a lovely L reg car and I've found a great plate for it but it starts with an M currently the rules say I can't fit it but WHY have we got these rules ?
If I sell it the V5 clearly states it's year and it currently has a B plate on it anyway.
Seems a hugely outdated rule.
It's because people are idiots and will think a car is newer than it is and someone at some point will want to sue the seller, the DVLA and everyone else for not making the age clear enough.
Although if you want to apply logic to it - shouldn't we just all have the VIN number instead of the registration number? Why add a whole new numbering system run by a bunch of unreliable and impossible-to-argue-with* state-funded administrators? Nice big VIN plates all round.
* My "Inveco" 50cc scooter was really made by Italjet
Although if you want to apply logic to it - shouldn't we just all have the VIN number instead of the registration number? Why add a whole new numbering system run by a bunch of unreliable and impossible-to-argue-with* state-funded administrators? Nice big VIN plates all round.
* My "Inveco" 50cc scooter was really made by Italjet
LuS1fer said:
Exactly. Because some crim will advertise their car as newer and more expensive than it is and some dork will buy it, failing to check the V5. It would be the equivalent of clocking the car (which is also illegal though you'd never know it).
But on a 10+ year old car the age is pretty irrelevant it's purely on mileage / condition.In my case I'm talking about Mk1 MX5s and FD RX7s of 90's vintage and year simply doesn't affect value.
I'd also be happy if the rules said you had to sell the cars on age related plates.
Captain Muppet said:
It's because people are idiots and will think a car is newer than it is and someone at some point will want to sue the seller, the DVLA and everyone else for not making the age clear enough.
Although if you want to apply logic to it - shouldn't we just all have the VIN number instead of the registration number? Why add a whole new numbering system run by a bunch of unreliable and impossible-to-argue-with* state-funded administrators? Nice big VIN plates all round.
* My "Inveco" 50cc scooter was really made by Italjet
Your VIN idea wouldn't work, some countries are moving away from Visible VINs as its now easy to clone a car without having access to it (spec is evident from a walk round, VIN is in windscreen).Although if you want to apply logic to it - shouldn't we just all have the VIN number instead of the registration number? Why add a whole new numbering system run by a bunch of unreliable and impossible-to-argue-with* state-funded administrators? Nice big VIN plates all round.
* My "Inveco" 50cc scooter was really made by Italjet
Fox- said:
I dont think I will ever understand why our country is so obsessed with displaying age identifiers on cars. Almost nowhere else in the world does it and the plates look better for it.
I like them. They're like a gift for car enthusiasts, as who else would want to know what year some random car on the street was registered, other than me?Fox- said:
I dont think I will ever understand why our country is so obsessed with displaying age identifiers on cars. Almost nowhere else in the world does it and the plates look better for it.
Because it has always driven new car sales. When the change was annual, they had massive spikes in sales in August so changed it to bi-yearly and in doing so, unwittingly diluted the concept.It still drives change in the used market too as people think they need a new car when their old one is perfectly adequate.
I think the idea has been significantly diluted though as I lost track of what cars are new some time ago. I understand we're in the "60s" but now I judge if a car is new or not by how it looks.
vincenz said:
Captain Muppet said:
It's because people are idiots and will think a car is newer than it is and someone at some point will want to sue the seller, the DVLA and everyone else for not making the age clear enough.
Although if you want to apply logic to it - shouldn't we just all have the VIN number instead of the registration number? Why add a whole new numbering system run by a bunch of unreliable and impossible-to-argue-with* state-funded administrators? Nice big VIN plates all round.
* My "Inveco" 50cc scooter was really made by Italjet
Your VIN idea wouldn't work, some countries are moving away from Visible VINs as its now easy to clone a car without having access to it (spec is evident from a walk round, VIN is in windscreen).Although if you want to apply logic to it - shouldn't we just all have the VIN number instead of the registration number? Why add a whole new numbering system run by a bunch of unreliable and impossible-to-argue-with* state-funded administrators? Nice big VIN plates all round.
* My "Inveco" 50cc scooter was really made by Italjet
My idea doesn't make it any easier that it is now.
petrolsniffer said:
Why can't we have anything we want? providing it isn't taken
Just like the yanks
I think it's naff being forced to use a combination of numbers and letters
They'd be uproar from the owners of currently expensive plates that would become almost worthless.Just like the yanks
I think it's naff being forced to use a combination of numbers and letters
For the rest of us it would be great.
V8RX7 said:
petrolsniffer said:
Why can't we have anything we want? providing it isn't taken
Just like the yanks
I think it's naff being forced to use a combination of numbers and letters
They'd be uproar from the owners of currently expensive plates that would become almost worthless.Just like the yanks
I think it's naff being forced to use a combination of numbers and letters
For the rest of us it would be great.
"Oh..Sharon is gone...hmmm, oh I know 5H4RON.."
LuS1fer said:
Because when the uncreative and ungifted blobs of flesh realise that the phrase they wanted has been taken by someone a bit quicker than them, they will be straight back to creative butchery.
"Oh..Sharon is gone...hmmm, oh I know 5H4RON.."
Its still easier to remember / work out all the permutations of Sharon than to remember M381 WLJ in a hit and run."Oh..Sharon is gone...hmmm, oh I know 5H4RON.."
LuS1fer said:
Fox- said:
I dont think I will ever understand why our country is so obsessed with displaying age identifiers on cars. Almost nowhere else in the world does it and the plates look better for it.
Because it has always driven new car sales. When the change was annual, they had massive spikes in sales in August so changed it to bi-yearly and in doing so, unwittingly diluted the concept.It still drives change in the used market too as people think they need a new car when their old one is perfectly adequate.
I think the idea has been significantly diluted though as I lost track of what cars are new some time ago. I understand we're in the "60s" but now I judge if a car is new or not by how it looks.
It forces down used values too - the UK probably has the cheapest used cars in the world.
Deva Link said:
LuS1fer said:
Fox- said:
I dont think I will ever understand why our country is so obsessed with displaying age identifiers on cars. Almost nowhere else in the world does it and the plates look better for it.
Because it has always driven new car sales. When the change was annual, they had massive spikes in sales in August so changed it to bi-yearly and in doing so, unwittingly diluted the concept.It still drives change in the used market too as people think they need a new car when their old one is perfectly adequate.
I think the idea has been significantly diluted though as I lost track of what cars are new some time ago. I understand we're in the "60s" but now I judge if a car is new or not by how it looks.
It forces down used values too - the UK probably has the cheapest used cars in the world.
Deva Link said:
I honestly think new car sales in the UK would be decimated if we dropped the age identifier.
It forces down used values too - the UK probably has the cheapest used cars in the world.
I agree but there's no reason it couldn't be dropped on cars / plates over ten years old IE Any car over ten years old can have any plate up to ten years old.It forces down used values too - the UK probably has the cheapest used cars in the world.
I can't see how it forces values down as there are so many personal / dateless / irish plates around from £99.
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