A guide to number plates

Check the VIN plate with great care and check the record against the V5. Check the plate itself; does it look tampered with for example and have new rivets been used, which is a dead giveaway. If so then ask why

Check the tax disc – sometimes the car’s number plate has been changed but the tax may not have

Cars like Mini Coopers and Lotus Cortinas are often faked and can be hard to spot. Take along an expert

As you can see, this plate is authentic but it has been known for ‘ringers’ to swap VIN plates over

Aston Virage VIN plates give a great deal of detail making it easy to check the car’s originality

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Cherished number plates are almost as important as the classic they are attached to – and worth as much! Here’s why and read how to get one of your own

Basically, a combination of numbers and letters, which is special to you, but preferably without a year identifier – that’s the ideal posh plate. A registration number is a unique means of identifying a vehicle, primarily for taxation and law enforcement purposes. The number normally remains with the vehicle until it is broken up, destroyed or sent permanently abroad.

Why buy one and what’s the best?

Look at non-dating numbers like this: Like land, they’re not making any more, and we know what effect that’s having on land! Non-dating cherished numbers are going the same way. There’s only a finite amount out there and as time progresses, they can only appreciate in value. Not only that, they can be handed down through the family as an heirloom and as long as you’re not buying and selling as a business, they don’t attract tax. Another benefit is that a pre-1964 plate hides age, which can be very useful if you’re buying a high end classic. The way pre-1963 (A reg) plates have appreciated in value over the years can be seen by looking back into the archives. A 1985 issue of Autocar shows JJB 1 advertised at £5950, which equated to about 60 per cent of a year’s average salary at the time. In the same issue a 12k mile 1981 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur was advertised for £30,000. Fast forward 20 years and that number was worth about £33,000 (120 per cent of today’s average salary), but the 1981 Spur is worth only £9000 – which is less than half today’s average salary! By way of a classic comparison, a 1969 E-type FHC was advertised in the same 1985 issue at £5450 and this would be worth around £30,000 today – still shy of the plate’s value! The signs are good that the next 20 years should also see substantial gains.

What type of number plate can be assigned to a classic?

The rules say that you can’t assign a number that’s newer than your vehicle, but as most numbers without a year identifier are now over 40 years old, that leaves a big selection to choose from. Foreign number plates are usually only valid for a year – seek advice on this.

What does the law require?

With the widespread interest in personalised registration numbers, special facilities are provided for those who wish to transfer their vehicles’ registration numbers. Attractive registration numbers can fetch large sums of money and there have been several cases of organised criminal activity aimed at acquiring valuable numbers through illegal means. Transfers are carefully controlled, therefore, to counter possible abuse. Only vehicles which are registered at DVLA, are currently licensed, subject to MOT test and available for inspection, may take part in a number transfer. Taken together, these measures have proved to be very effective in limiting the scope for abuse of the system. Transferring a plate costs £80 and retaining one on a certificate for up to a year costs £105 (which has the transfer fee included).

Where to get one?

There is a huge selection of cherished number dealers around and most are reputable. Best, however, to deal with those which are members of CNDA (Cherished Number Dealers Association). Many have websites that are fully searchable for the number or letter combination you want, which is useful. Alternatively, DVLA hold regular auctions (see www.dvla.gov.uk).

What to watch out for?

There may be some circumstances where there is a danger of losing entitlement to your plate. However, the DVLA comments: “The Agency recognises that there are circumstances can occur which prevent vehicles from meeting the licensing requirement, for example, an unexpected MoT failure. Applications will still be considered therefore where the vehicle licence expired no more than six months prior to the date of application. The police feel that this is the widest easement that can be made without opening the door to the abuses of the scheme experienced in the past.” What if the car is written off at about the same time as the MoT is due and is therefore never going to pass the test and incapable of meeting the transfer requirements? The DVLA admit that’s a grey area, but if it’s a worry, then there are several insurance schemes that will cover such contingencies and protect your investment, usually for about £1 for every £100 insured. Never part with money until you’re sure thenumber is transferable. Genuine dealers will guarantee a transfer, so you’ll have comfort there, but be very careful if you chose to buy privately. Consider using a stakeholding solicitor as intermediary if you’re talking anything over £5000. There’s no doubt about it, a posh plate certainly adds a touch of class to a classic! Try one

Registering your interest

Jeff Bailey shows how to spot a fraud

Hands up anyone who’s bought a car at any time without a log book, or as it is more properly known, a registration document (V5)? Thought so. Many of us have, me included. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding this little piece of paper and when buying a used car it is particularly useful in helping you assess the car’s provenance. Following efforts by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to reduce fraud connected with car sales, a new hard to copy form of document came into use in 1999. There are, however, checks we can all do to ensure what we are seeing is what we are buying. If the car does not have a log book, that is not necessarily the end of the world, but you will have to tread very carefully from thereon in. Only go down this route if you have a lot of time to check with previous owners and to cross-check the service book details with the engine and chassis numbers. It is far easier to check these details on a low production car than a mass production vehicle, but that shouldn’t deter you, given the potential problems if you buy a ringer. When you are satisfied of the car’s provenance, apply for a V5 registration document using a form V62 available at post offices or your local Vehicle Registration Office. The procedure is straightforward. The DVLA contact the previous registered owner and if they confirm the vehicle has passed on from them, DVLA will issue a new V5, usually within a month. A useful 10 page leaflet produced by DVLA is “Registering and Licensing your Motor Vehicle”, available at your local Vehicle Registration Office – highly recommended for its clear advice.

• So, here is our point by point guide to how to use the Registration Document when buying: The V5 Registration Document

 

• Remember that the person recorded on the document may not be the legal owner; it is not a document of title. Also check the number and regularity of any ownership changes.

 

• Satisfy yourself that the person selling the vehicle has the right to do so.

 

• Never buy a vehicle without a registration document even if the seller says it has been sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for changes.

 

• Hold the document up to the light – the DVLA watermark should be contained within the layers of paper; satisfy yourself that a fraudulent watermark has not been merely printed on to the surface of the paper.

 

• Vehicle Identification Numbers

 

• Check that the 17 – character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), normally found on a metal plate in the engine compartment, matches the VIN on the registration document. Be suspicious if it shows signs of having been tampered with such as rivets having been disturbed or renewed.

 

• If the VIN plate has been removed for any reason, ask why and if dubious don’t touch the car!

 

• The VIN should also be stamped in somewhere on the vehicle, often under the bonnet or in the floor panel on the driver’s side. Check thesurrounding area for signs of any alteration. The 17 digits should be evenly stamped and should match the registration document.

 

• Windows

 

• If a registration mark or part VIN is etched on the windows then ensure it matches the car’s registration document.

 

• Check carefully underneath stickers, where fitted – they can be used to conceal etching.

 

• Engine

 

• Does the engine number match the registration document or is there no markings?

 

• Has it been interfered with or altered? Has the engine been changed? (Although to be fair this is quite likely and innocent on an older car)

Locks

 

• Do the locks differ? (Thieves often change locks they have damaged which means two keys).

 

• Are there any signs of forced entry?

 

• Has the locking petrol cap been forced and replaced?

 

• Other points to consider

 

• If possible, take a qualified examiner with you to see the vehicle or someone from the owners club to verify if the car is a fake.

 

• It’s a good investment to checking with one of several companies such as HPI that hold information on vehicles, whether it has been reported as stolen, seriously damaged or is still subject to finance.

 

• Never pay cash if at all possible – you might end up minus the cash AND the car.

Further information and advice can be obtained from leaflets, “The Car – Buyer’s Guide” and “Steer Clear of Car Crime”. These are available free of charge from DVLA Swansea, SA99 1AR, or your local Vehicle Registration Office. Finally, as ever, be sure before you buy – if in doubt, walk away.