hi all, I seem to a while ago have come across a thread about what all the sections of your number plate meant, may not have been on here, and didn’t pay it much attention at the time, but since then have started wondering about mine.
it’s plate is BPD633T and is a 79’ 1275GT. Now I’m probably putting 2 and 2 together to make 37.5 here, but the car has under its current paint a light metallic baby blue and white paint job, and it has pd at the start of the plate, so mabe an ex police car? As I said… Probably very wrong. But all the same can anyone tell me what it all means on these old style plates? Thanks, James
B is a random Letter, PD represents the area the car was registered to. In this case Gulidford
633 are random numbers and the T represents the year so in this case between 1st August 1978 and 31st July 1979
On Older registrations 63-83, the suffix is at the end of the plate so T in your case representing the year
But then after 83 and until 2001, the suffix was at the beginning of the plate for example A676NKJ N would be the random letter, KJ would be the area and A would be represent the year of registration. The numbers are random.
And finally on the new type plates for instance MD02KXE, The MD represents the area in which the car was registered (Manchester/Merseyside) the 02 represents the year of first registration (2002) and the KXE are random letters. Of course the 02 could have been registered the same year and received a 52 but it depends on what time of year the car was registered. 52 being later than 02
And then of course it’s changed again with the latest registrations because they ran out of number combinations to represent the year.
Nice summary.
One picky correction on terminology - BPD633T is a suffix registration (date letter at the end) whereas A676NKJ is a prefix registration (date letter at the front).
Don’t understand your last comment about the latest registration changing? They started at 02 March registrations and added 50 to that for the Sept registrations. That means the numbering system will work without change until 2049 in theory.
B is a random Letter, PD represents the area the car was registered to. In this case Gulidford
633 are random numbers and the T represents the year so in this case between 1st August 1978 and 31st July 1979
And finally on the new type plates for instance MD02KXE, The MD represents the area in which the car was registered (Manchester/Merseyside) the 02 represents the year of first registration (2002) and the KXE are random letters. Of course the 02 could have been registered the same year and received a 52 but it depends on what time of year the car was registered. 52 being later than 02
Hope that helps.
Ben
The B is not a random letter.
The issuing offices issued the letters in order, thus BPD (1-999) T plates would have been issued before CPD (1-999) T plates. However the first letters would not start again each August. So the first letters would carry over each August. Most issuing offices got through the first letters each 3 or 4 years.
On the new plates, which started on 1st September 2001 with 51 Reg cars, the change points are 1st of March to 31st August for the year number and 1st September to 28th February (29th on leap years) with the year number +50.
Should adopt the Belgium system and limit the requirement for updating:
We use one number, three letters and then three numbers, eg. 1-ABC-123. This is not that special but what is, is the fact that the plate is Yours, and not your cars!
When (if) I ever sell my mini, then the plate will go on the next car - A numberplate for life. Two cars, then two plates…
With an adult population of about 5 million, Belgium won’t have too think about changing too soon.
Should adopt the Belgium system and limit the requirement for updating:
We use one number, three letters and then three numbers, eg. 1-ABC-123. This is not that special but what is, is the fact that the plate is Yours, and not your cars!
When (if) I ever sell my mini, then the plate will go on the next car - A numberplate for life. Two cars, then two plates…
With an adult population of about 5 million, Belgium won’t have too think about changing too soon.
Some of the plates on cars in Belgium do look very old compared to the car they are on, I guess because the plates are for life and rarely get replaced when the owner buys a new car.
Here in Belgium on a Sunday or National Holiday, at the head of every slow moving queue of traffic there’s either a tractor or a car with a very old and tatty numberplate.
And as you pass, a brief glance to your right and you’ll see an ol’ chap(ess) driving. And as you quite rightly suggested to, it’s sitting on a 2015 Audi A8!
