Old plates question....Anyone?

[binhoker668]

Hey folks, is there a way to find out what make of car a Reg came from?

My friend turned up some dead interesting looking old plates (front and back) in his shop. They're proper old ones in black.

Reg is: BD481 B

Or maybe the 1 is an I?

Haven't seen that layout before.

Anyone got info to proffer?

Regards....

[meggersdog]

Probably military plates as not enough letters. BD 48 IB in white on a black background ?

[binhoker668]

Probably military plates as not enough letters. BD 48 IB in white on a black background ?

Yup white (well, silver) on a black background.

With a space before the final B.

[scaryoldcortina]

British Forces Germany plate. 2 letters, 3 numbers, ends with a B and always black and white.

[meggersdog]

Silver on black would indicate old style plates as would the space before the final letter.I'm pretty sure all prefix/suffix numberplates had three letters at the start hence me thinking they might be military but those are white on black.You've probably got a letter missing at the front.

[binhoker668]

Nope defo no numbers or letters missing, and aye, silver on black...

BD481 B

Exactly like that.

 

Guess it isnae possible to find out what they came off eh?

Or what year they're from?

 

Sorry, boring post I know, but hey - who else would I ask!

[eddyramrod]

Many many years ago I saw CZ 413 B on a Mk1 Escort, which of course wasn't being made when B suffix was current (1964). The military explanation seems to fit; I know troops serving overseas and taking cars with them are/were issued plates in specific series.

 

It's at least 35 years; how sad is it that I remembered that car?????

[scaryoldcortina]

Ok, I'll elaborate. Between 1963 and 1990, british troops serving in germany were given AB 123 B format plates in black and white for their private cars because their use spanned 2 countries (UK and Germany) - legal to use in both places and no bothering with re-registering each time you go on rotation.

 

Trouble is, in the late 80's the IRA started targetting the (very obvious) black and white BFG plates as a soldier's car and they were withdrawn.

[binhoker668]

Cheers fella - had never seen one before...

Guess I wouldn't have - having grown up in Belfast etc...

[eddyramrod]

"They" still take your old plates away and issue you a fresh number; my daughter served in Germany with the RAF, and later her Army hubby was posted over there too. Each time, they were issued new plates. I distinctly remember Hutch removing the "serving" plates from the Focus before turning it over to us in 2004, refitting the original LF53 UVX.

[scaryoldcortina]

Yeah, since '90 you get a UK plate if it's RHD and a German one if its LHD. Same system, just less obvious.