RE: [doc] Re: "J Reg" / Admin request

["Gutkowski, Martin" <martin.gutkowski@xxxx>]

Hi Jan

English and Scottish plates take on a standard form. Unfortunately the standard keeps changing as soon as you're used to it.

Loosely however, plates up to 1983 came in the form of ABC 123X - where the"X" denoted the calendar year of registration. W is 81, X is 82, Y is 83 (and certain letters, like Z are not used as they can be confused with numbers)

Then in 1984, plates start the other way around

A123 XYZ 

In 1987, the D reg lasted 7 months only and E started from 1st July '87 with the changeover being July 1st each year thereafter. This was for economicreasons - the start of a new plate is an incentive to buy a new car, so they shifted it to the traditionally slack period of the year for getting newcars.

So, to answer your question, a J reg car would have been first registered in the 12 months beginning July 1st 1992.

Then, to make things more complicated, when we scroll on to the letter S, this only lasted for 6 months, to be followed by T, V, X, Y and W at 6 monthly intervals.

Then it all changed.

Now numbers take the form GU02 FRT - and I can't remember the reason, read www.dvla.gov.uk if you are still awake :-)

Martin

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jan van de Wouw <delorean@xxxx> [mailto:delorean@xxxx]
> Sent: 23 January 2003 15:54
> To: doc-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [doc] Re: "J Reg" / Admin request
> 
> 
> Mike Sumner (I think) wrote:
> 
> >I drive a J reg Fiesta day-to-day
> 
> Can anyone enlighten me on what a "J reg" is? 
> I have a suspicion, but would like to be sure...
> 
>