Correct plates for my 1967 Car?

[Mikebentley]

I' have recently finished the bodywork restoration on my 1967 Triumph Vitesse 2.0 Litre. It was registered on January 11th 1967 and is wearing very old Blumels style reflective plates which were on iwhen I purchased it over 8 years ago.
I like the original look of my old car and in trying to continue this seek the advice of the knowledgable people on this forum who may have been around in 1967......I was born in July that year.

I am trying to decide between "Ace" text 3 1/8 inch on black back plate iwith either white or silver plastic letters. I'm quite taken with the silver lettered variant. Any help would be appreciated [

Edited by Mikebentley on Tuesday 18th March 16:39

[Sid's Dad]

I agree the Ace silver letters on black background look terrific - it's what I have on my 1959 Humber. But it isn't strictly period correct for the Vitesse. A 1967 car when new would have had pressed aluminium plates with silver letters on a black background. The letters would be formed on the plate, rather than being separate letters riveted to a back plate like the Ace.

Depends on how fussed you are about absolute period accuracy. If you just want terrific looking plates, and you can justify the expense, go for the Ace.

[P5Nij]

Nice Vitesse ;-)

If it were mine I'd probably go for silver raised digits on a black backing plate, the shape of the digits varies between the plate makers but either style would be appropriate. I think silver digits would go well with the colour of your car -

[nta16]

IF you're actually going to use this car or have it parked on a road when it's dark - as some classic owners actually do

(sounds of thuds as the bodies of most classic owners hit floors)

- then keep to reflective number plates as they provide large areas of reflective light for other vehicles to see your car, front and rear, and provide extra light to particularly the very small rear driving lights and small number plate lights

sorry I've no idea of of fonts as I was too young then

[Sid's Dad]

Does anyone ever park on unlit roads these days? I use my classics pretty much every day and I have yet to park anywhere that isn't streetlit. And all the chrome gives enough reflection to be seen from the moon. And anyway those old Bluemels were about as reflective as my arse, weren't they?.

Edited by Sid's Dad on Tuesday 18th March 17:15

[nta16]

ETA: as new it might(?) have had reflective plates and to put on b&w plates could make it less original to itself

unless you have exact details of that car when new or a time warp car very accurate originality is difficult to find and achieve, normally originality is subjective so do what pleases you

[nta16]

Sid's Dad said:

I have little lights at both ends of my classics. I switch them on and bingo! People can see me.

why does your face glow a lot more than your a*se

yes they may be able to see your car but possibly not as soon as other cars especially during adverse weather

Sid's Dad said:

And anyway those old Bluemels were about as reflective as my arse.

every little helps and I don't mean your a*se

[Sid's Dad]

Reflective number plates were legally accepted from December 1967, and were used alongside black and whites until August 1973 (M suffix plates onwards) when reflective plates became compulsory on new cars and black and whites were no longer legal on new cars. Of course older preAug1973 cars with b&w plates were and are still perfectly legal.

So as a Jan67 - Aug 67 car (67 was the year that the new registration moved to August from the original January, so is a 'short' year...) your car should have had b&w plates when delivered.

But it will look lovely on reflective Bluemels if you prefer. I shall now take my anorak off if I may.

Lovely Vitesse, by the way!

[Lost soul]

Sid's Dad said:

Does anyone ever park on unlit roads these days? I use my classics pretty much every day and I have yet to park anywhere that isn't streetlit. And all the chrome gives enough reflection to be seen from the moon. And anyway those old Bluemels were about as reflective as my arse, weren't they?.

Edited by Sid's Dad on Tuesday 18th March 17:15

Whoossh

[M3DGE]

Sid's Dad said:

I agree the Ace silver letters on black background look terrific - it's what I have on my 1959 Humber. But it isn't strictly period correct for the Vitesse. A 1967 car when new would have had pressed aluminium plates with silver letters on a black background. The letters would be formed on the plate, rather than being separate letters riveted to a back plate like the Ace.

Depends on how fussed you are about absolute period accuracy. If you just want terrific looking plates, and you can justify the expense, go for the Ace.

Fully agree with this - I had the same on my 69 MGB. And well done in the first place for changing the plates! It never ceases to amaze me when I see classic cars with modern plates (yellow and black at the rear look particularly awful IMO)

[nta16]

Sid's Dad said:

Reflective number plates were legally accepted from December 1967, and were used alongside black and whites

thanks for that, I've never known when they first come in, I'm not diputing it but have you a link to verify date as ...

Sid's Dad said:

until August 1973 (M suffix plates onwards) when reflective plates became compulsory on new cars and black and whites were no longer legal on new cars. Of course older preAug1973 cars with b&w plates were and are still perfectly legal.

sorry but you've made a mistake here reflective plates have to be on vehicles manufactured on or after 1st Jan 1973 - (page 100 - http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_...

[nta16]

Sid's Dad said:

Does anyone ever park on unlit roads these days?

sorry I missed this, you obviously don't live or visits area that have villages, hamlets, roads without street lighting or in an area where the street light has been reduced or turned off fully or go out at a set time

[nta16]

M3DGE said:

Fully agree with this - I had the same on my 69 MGB. And well done in the first place for changing the plates! It never ceases to amaze me when I see classic cars with modern plates (yellow and black at the rear look particularly awful IMO)

each to their own there's no right or wrong

but can I generalise that when you were the owner of a 1969 MGB you fitted the stereotype (if you didn't then apologises) that the car wasn't used as a daily and possibly didn't get used much at night or poor weather and was garaged - horses for courses

[Mikebentley]

Thanks for all the replies. I in error suggested the Ace plates meaning to actually say silver/white letters on black background but am strangely drawn to the Ace ones now. It would appear E suffix cars from 67 are a curiosity due to the short registration run. Also as the reflective s came in Dec 67 when the F suffix was out it might mean someone updated from the originals to modernise their car.

I think I will go for a silver on black riveted letter plate.......now which ones?

[ClassicMotorNut]

This isn't a helpful comment at all but I reckon the reflective plates look better than black-and-whites.

These days a lot of people want to fit black-and-whites to make their cars look older but in the late '60s and early '70s many would have wanted reflective plates to make their cars appear more modern and up-to-date.

[P5Nij]

Chances are your Vitesse's original plates were replaced by a previous owner when MOT came round when the car was a few years old, as often happens the front plate usually get's tatty quicker than the rear one and said previous owner may have thought 'sod it I'll fit a new set front and rear'. It's happened to several of the classics I've owned and I often fit a new set myself anyway to personalise them a bit more, depending on the car's appearence and age. A couple of my cars had different style digits front and rear where odd letters had been replaced with whatever was available at the time! My two current classics have had new sets of plates fitted since I bought them, the Cooper S is on it's third set. The ones it came with were cheap pressed aluminium which looked a bit naff so I bought a pair of silver on black raised digit ones (WMU 211G above), but since changing the colour of the car I've fitted a set of engraved acrylic silver and black ones which suit the car much better. The car was built in 1968 which is around the time this particular style of plate was introduced, although they were more likely to be seen on flash Rollers, Astons, Jensen Interceptors etc, they do sit nicely against the dark metallic purple paint.

You could try these...

http://www.tippersvintageplates.co.uk/

http://www.pl8s.co.uk/

Back in the 60s and 70s there were a lot of plate manufacturers all round the country (although an awful lot of them were around the Brum / West Mids area) who used subtly different font styles so depending on where a car was first sold and registered, the dealer would probably have bought plates from the nearest supplier, a dealer in another town may have done likewise but ended up with different style plates - I'm meandering a bit I know but the point is when your Vitesse was new it wouldn't necessarily have been fitted with generic pressed aluminium black and silver plates sourced from the same workshop as everyone else. Whatever style you choose it's your car, hope you find the ones you want ;-)

[nta16]

personally I like the plates on your Vitesse now, individual raised characters on reflective background

strictly speaking you couldn't take those off and replace them with period reflective plates but B&W plates are fine as you're pre 1 Jan '73

I've seen the Frampton plates at shows and they look well made

whatever you do I'd suggest at least keeping the existing plates if only to put up in the garage

[LordBretSinclair]

The correct ones Mike are the ones you like

[nta16]

Sid's Dad said:

Does anyone ever park on unlit roads these days? I use my classics pretty much every day and I have yet to park anywhere that isn't street lit.

you obviously don't get out and about in your daily classics as much as you think


(sorry about angle, it looked straight in the viewfinder)

[V8forweekends]

ClassicMotorNut said:

This isn't a helpful comment at all but I reckon the reflective plates look better than black-and-whites.

These days a lot of people want to fit black-and-whites to make their cars look older but in the late '60s and early '70s many would have wanted reflective plates to make their cars appear more modern and up-to-date.

^^^^ This. I am old enough to remember it (just) and people were queuing up to put reflective plates on at the time.

With that said, my '68 has black and silver ones - they were on when I bought it.

Yesterday I saw a T-suffix mini with black and silver plates - totally illegal but the Police don't seem to bother.

Edited by V8forweekends on Wednesday 19th March 12:15