Old plates on new cars – why?

leggy · 22-10-15, 12:12 PM

Hey guys

Okay, I’ve just spotted a silver convertible Audi on the A43 with the reg plate M99 RJE.

Now I didn’t really get a good look at the car, but I could tell from just a quick glance that the vehicle was much newer than the 1994 reg plate, and having searched the vehicle reg online, it turns out that the vehicle was/is a GREY, 2011 AUDI A5 SE TFSI 211 CVT CONVERTIBLE

Which begs the question, why stick a 1994 reg plate on a 2011 vehicle?
I could understand it if the reg plate spelt something, but this plate doesn’t as far as I can tell, so why change it?

sinbin5t · 22-10-15, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leggy

Hey guys

Okay, I’ve just spotted a silver convertible Audi on the A43 with the reg plate M99 RJE.

Now I didn’t really get a good look at the car, but I could tell from just a quick glance that the vehicle was much newer than the 1994 reg plate, and having searched the vehicle reg online, it turns out that the vehicle was/is a GREY, 2011 AUDI A5 SE TFSI 211 CVT CONVERTIBLE

Which begs the question, why stick a 1994 reg plate on a 2011 vehicle?
I could understand it if the reg plate spelt something, but this plate doesn’t as far as I can tell, so why change it?

RJE could be somebody's initials Leggy or maybe M99 could mean something to them.

David Small · 22-10-15, 12:22 PM

RJE could well be the owners initials and buying a cherished number with a year prefix to it is generally far cheaper than buying one without either a year prefix or suffix

sinbin5t · 22-10-15, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davallew

RJE could well be the owners initials and buying a cherished number with a year prefix to it is generally far cheaper than buying one without either a year prefix or suffix

Agreed

leggy · 22-10-15, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sinbin5t

RJE could be somebody's initials Leggy or maybe M99 could mean something to them.

Well whatever the meaning sinbin5t, it stood out like a sore thumb and made an otherwise relatively nice looking A-series Audi look, well, hmmm, pants!

Hopefully the M plate didn't belong to someone on here's cherished 'Classic' Audi originally, that would be awful!

sinbin5t · 22-10-15, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leggy

Well whatever the meaning sinbin5t, it stood out like a sore thumb and made an otherwise relatively nice looking A-series Audi look, well, hmmm, pants!

Hopefully the M plate didn't belong to someone on here's cherished Audi originally, that would be awful!

your funny

David Small · 22-10-15, 12:30 PM

With regard to age related plates , I believe you can make car look older than it actually is but not newer if I remember correctly

sinbin5t · 22-10-15, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davallew

With regard to age related plates , I believe you can make car look older than it actually is but not newer if I remember correctly

I think your right there Dave

leggy · 22-10-15, 01:09 PM

Another example...

A neighbour of mine owns a dark grey Mazda RX8, he's stuck a J reg plate on it, which does at least spell something (can't remember for the life of me what it spells and I can't go and have a look as it was taken away on a flat-bed yesterday to have a new clutch fitted; hardly surprising as the owner drives it like there's no tomorrow!), but in any case, a 1992/3 plate on a 2005(?) car doesn't quite have the same stand-out-like-a-sore thumb stance to it, albeit it's pretty evident that it's been changed.

I suppose what I'm trying to say here is, why do people even stick older plates on newer cars? Some spell funny things and make you laugh it's true, but having initials or names doesn't make a vehicle owner anymore important than any other driver on the road, it's just showing off the fact that some have more money than others, which for the most part is pretty clear from the make/model of the vehicle. Also, there are very few plates around these days (that I've seen anyway!) that are actually worth anything, so it's not really a case of changing the reg plate to increase the value of a vehicle. If anything, transferring plates is nothing but hassle imo, not to mention costly, and just a cheap gimmicky marketing ploy that the DVLA introduced by way of getting more money out of vehicle owners. Like I said, why do it?

Flying Frank · 22-10-15, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davallew

With regard to age related plates , I believe you can make car look older than it actually is but not newer if I remember correctly

Absolutely correct !! Much to Leggys disgust no doubt I have all sorts of "cherished numbers " tucked away , including one I bought about 20 years ago when the DVLA first started releasing the "A" prefix. I bought A 4 FGB for my car ...yes I'm a poser ...and since then Audi introduced the A4 , A6 etc etc. So I guess that might have added a tad of value to my £180 purchase and maybe not as the letters FGB can actually stand for someone quite nasty!!

As for the reg that Leggy spotted, a lot of people prefer the shorter number of letters/numbers on their plate plus it tends to make a car more timeless . In other words you don't have to buy a new car every year to keep up with the Jones's next door .

My other 2 regs are K7 LEH and N7 LEH. They stand for nothing but just thought it a novelty to have 2 registrations so similar, especially when they were on 2 silver Polo Estates. Great for confusing the natives.

In the end, they are just a bit of fun and whilst reg's like A1 go for mega bucks, none of mine have cost very much whilst the K7 LEH actually was on a car I bought ( see below ) and I chose to retain the number for sentimental reasons . Bored you enough now .....ta ta!!

22-10-15, 12:22 PM	#3
David Small David Small - Mr 80k Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 7,210	RJE could well be the owners initials and buying a cherished number with a year prefix to it is generally far cheaper than buying one without either a year prefix or suffix __________________ David Small - Member 283 - 1994 Audi C4 A6 2.0 - Tornado Red 1971 NSU 1200C Automatik - Iberian Red 1995 Audi B4 80 2.6SE Automatic - Laser Red

22-10-15, 12:30 PM	#7
David Small David Small - Mr 80k Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 7,210	With regard to age related plates , I believe you can make car look older than it actually is but not newer if I remember correctly __________________ David Small - Member 283 - 1994 Audi C4 A6 2.0 - Tornado Red 1971 NSU 1200C Automatik - Iberian Red 1995 Audi B4 80 2.6SE Automatic - Laser Red

22-10-15, 01:09 PM	#9
leggy Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 1,650	Another example... A neighbour of mine owns a dark grey Mazda RX8, he's stuck a J reg plate on it, which does at least spell something (can't remember for the life of me what it spells and I can't go and have a look as it was taken away on a flat-bed yesterday to have a new clutch fitted; hardly surprising as the owner drives it like there's no tomorrow!), but in any case, a 1992/3 plate on a 2005(?) car doesn't quite have the same stand-out-like-a-sore thumb stance to it, albeit it's pretty evident that it's been changed. I suppose what I'm trying to say here is, why do people even stick older plates on newer cars? Some spell funny things and make you laugh it's true, but having initials or names doesn't make a vehicle owner anymore important than any other driver on the road, it's just showing off the fact that some have more money than others, which for the most part is pretty clear from the make/model of the vehicle. Also, there are very few plates around these days (that I've seen anyway!) that are actually worth anything, so it's not really a case of changing the reg plate to increase the value of a vehicle. If anything, transferring plates is nothing but hassle imo, not to mention costly, and just a cheap gimmicky marketing ploy that the DVLA introduced by way of getting more money out of vehicle owners. Like I said, why do it?