Some interesting* facts regarding the old car situation in Germany

[pshome]

you forgot those:

 

called "Wechselkennzeichen".

The idea is to share one registration across multiple cars. That's basically a good idea, the Austrians and even in Switzerland they have something like this. You may only use one of the cars under the same registration at a time. To avoid abuse, the bureucrats came up with these fancy split plates. The small bit (one pair for each car) remains and the large part (you get only one pair) is moved across cars. To add to the complications, the cars that currently don't have the plate may not be parked on public roads. You do however have to pay tax and insurance for all the cars making the whole thing totally useless and all you get are disadvantages. In spite of that, 3569 idiots opted for this since they were introduced in 2012. If you see one, take a photo, its a true rarity.

 

Another red variant are collector plates. They start with 07 after the locality indicator. You again share one across a fleet of cars, all cars need to be 30  years or older an have "H" status at the time you register them on that plate. You get one pair of plates and only one car is allowed on public roads at a time. Advantage is that you don't need TÜV and you can stick this to about everything that has at least one wheel and an engine, hence it's good for your home build custom hot rod that even a TÜV man with a french name won't wave through. Big disadvantage is that you are only allowed to drive to "meetings or events" or for "technical verifications", people got fined for driving to a gas station with those! Forget going abroad with those, you dont get proper registration papers, just a german piece of A4 paper that lists the cars and nobody abroad accepts.  Also insurance is very expensive (they know that a lot of unsafe shite runs on this)

 

 

Also in red, dealer plates. Same layout but start with 06. You need a car related business to get those and can stick it to everything that runs even without TÜV. Insurance is very expensive.

[pshome]

Seriously though, surprised there's no BMW in the top 10?

All BMW's end up in the hands of young fellow citiizens with migrant background (i hope this is the politically correct wording that does not break terms and conditions of this forum) after 5 to 7 years from new.

 

After a few years of abuse constant improvement they move east or to the bin, none left for the collectors.

[John F]

Junkman, on 27 Jun 2017 - 3:58 PM, said:Junkman, on 27 Jun 2017 - 3:58 PM, said:Junkman, on 27 Jun 2017 - 3:58 PM, said:

How many Germans have a moped strapped to their campervan and use it while on holidays?

At least it's insured, as opposed to the millions of UK reg cars driving around in Spain for a decade or three.

 

Hmmm yeah... I had a look on the German moped forums earlier & the consensus was that you can legally ride your moped abroad within the EU for up to 6 weeks at a time.

 

Consensus was also that anyone using a Versicherungskennzeichen on a vehicle permanently located abroad (and especially without being registered as resident in Germany) would run the risk of not being insured at best and being liable for insurance fraud at worst.

 

Foreign-registered cars in Spain are taking a similar risk, unless they have local insurance... This was a thing when I lived in Haute Savoie, the local French insurance companies didn't give a toss whether a car had TÜV, MOT, etc. if it was on foreign plates.

 

ATEOTD, do you think that riding without proper* insurance is a risk worth taking?

[Junkman]

How good that I have a permanent residence in Germany.

[martc]

This reg chat is fascinating - in my humble opinion our system beats the Germanic one into a cocked hat.

 

But how does it work in other countries? France, Belgium, Japan, The Turks and Caicos Islands etc? Can our international reporters comment?

[John F]

Wikipedia is your friend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plate

 

(the Turks & Caicos Islands come under British overseas territories)

[pshome]

Austria is an interesting case, they are (as far as i know) the only country that privatised car registration to be managed by the insurances. One stop for all you need to get a car on the road. 

[Dave_Q]

Austria is an interesting case, they are (as far as i know) the only country that privatised car registration to be managed by the insurances. One stop for all you need to get a car on the road.

Please don't tell the government this, I know we complain about the DVLA but can you imagine if your legal ownership of your own car depended on the admin competency of shitehawks like MCE, Adrian flux, etc? *Shudder*

[Zantimisfit]

This reg chat is fascinating - in my humble opinion our system beats the Germanic one into a cocked hat.

 

But how does it work in other countries? France, Belgium, Japan, The Turks and Caicos Islands etc? Can our international reporters comment?

Sweden

 

Easy. Three letters followed by three numbers. The last number apparently shows the month the car is due its annual test (if it needs one) All other letters and numbers are random. When a car is scrapped its number goes back into the magic computer and is reissued to a new car a some point.

 

Before 2010 the car tax sticker had to be stuck between the letters and number on the rear number plate, so that is why there is/was a space between the letters and numbers

 

Denmark

 

Two letter followed by five numbers

 

Plates can be different colours dependent on how exhorbitant the tax is that needs to be paid

 

Private cars have white plates and can be taxed up to 150% (that is one hundred and fifty!) on new value - which is why everybody drives a VW Up or C1 Citroen.

"Commercial" vehicles have yellow plates and are taxed at normal VAT rates. A commercial vehicle has no back seat.

"Commercial" vehicles also used for private use have a part yellow (letters) part white (numbers) plate

 

So if you want an expensive car without the expensive tax the way round it is to buy a normal car with no back seat (which makes it "commercial") or only one back seat (part "commercial"). This is why you can, for example, buy, from the dealer, two seater people carriers, with a bulkhead behind the front seats to prevent you 'accidentally' fitting a back seat. There's a guy a work who has a two seater BMW X5. His dog has never been happier as he has so much space...but his kids have to get the bus I suppose

 

The number doesn't necessarily stay with the car as it has to be handed in and a new number reissued where there is a trade sale...but not a private sale!

 

The Danes are nuts!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

young fellow citiizens with migrant background

 

 

 

 

Turks.

 

 

Many an E30/36 etc has been converted to Turkish Specification. Found an E30 M3 for sale in Hamburg once, seriously butchered/abused and with a 325e (Eta) engine fitted. Mind you, many cars have been utterly ruined by The Master Race. A flick though BMW Scene (Ja?) mag shows some utter horrors involving chrome wheels, chrome steering wheels, wood veneer effect cam covers (I shit you not) und, natuerlich, CUSTOM LACK JA?!

 

A huge proportion on 80's/90's BMW's went across the border to Poland etc after the wall fell. I spoke to the guy who founded the Kiesow breakers north of Hamburg about 15 years ago and they had trucks collecting every running/saveable BMW and Merc they could fit on. 5 and 7 Series were the Polski executive chariot of choice.