Anyone have any idea if there is anywhere where I can date car
registration numbers? i.e. those issued before 1963 in England &
Wales. It would be helpful in dating some old photo's I have

-- 
-- 
Cheers

Peter

Petert  gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying:

> Anyone have any idea if there is anywhere where I can date car
> registration numbers? i.e. those issued before 1963 in England & Wales.
> It would be helpful in dating some old photo's I have

Identifying the cars the plates are on would probably give you a close 
enough date.

(adds uk.rec.cars.classic)
Any pics you want to start us with?

On 15 Oct 2009 14:01:32 GMT, Adrian  wrote:

>Petert  gurgled happily, sounding much like
>they were saying:
>
>> Anyone have any idea if there is anywhere where I can date car
>> registration numbers? i.e. those issued before 1963 in England & Wales.
>> It would be helpful in dating some old photo's I have
>
>Identifying the cars the plates are on would probably give you a close 
>enough date.
>
>(adds uk.rec.cars.classic)
>Any pics you want to start us with?

But some cars were produced for years - Series E Morris 8, was IMMSMR,
was first produced before WW2, The A35 ran for a while also.

I would like to pin the photo to a date that it couldn't have been
taken before - nothing too accurate, the month would do

-- 
Cheers

Peter

Petert  gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying:

>>(adds uk.rec.cars.classic)
>>Any pics you want to start us with?

> But some cars were produced for years 

Sure. But it's rare that a car will be produced without any kind of a 
facelift for more than a few years - and, even then, it's unlikely that 
it'll be the only car in the pic. And, if it is, who's to say it was new, 
a couple of years old or considerably older when the pic was taken?

> Series E Morris 8, was IMMSMR, was first produced before WW2

1938-48, but very few cars would have been produced between '39 and '45 - 
and there'd be other clues as to whether the pics were pre- or post-war.

>, The A35 ran for a while also.

'56-59 saloon, -62 estate, -69 van.

> I would like to pin the photo to a date that it couldn't have been taken
> before - nothing too accurate, the month would do

Wow. That's some seriously optimistic precision...

I very much doubt you could get a plate identified to a _month_ - and, 
even then, you'd be relying on at least one car in the pic being brand 
spankin' new...

On 15 Oct 2009 14:29:43 GMT, Adrian  wrote:

>Petert  gurgled happily, sounding much like
>they were saying:
>
>>>(adds uk.rec.cars.classic)
>>>Any pics you want to start us with?
>
>> But some cars were produced for years 
>
>Sure. But it's rare that a car will be produced without any kind of a 
>facelift for more than a few years - and, even then, it's unlikely that 
>it'll be the only car in the pic. And, if it is, who's to say it was new, 
>a couple of years old or considerably older when the pic was taken?
>
>> Series E Morris 8, was IMMSMR, was first produced before WW2
>
>1938-48, but very few cars would have been produced between '39 and '45 - 
>and there'd be other clues as to whether the pics were pre- or post-war.
>
>>, The A35 ran for a while also.
>
>'56-59 saloon, -62 estate, -69 van.
>
>> I would like to pin the photo to a date that it couldn't have been taken
>> before - nothing too accurate, the month would do
>
>Wow. That's some seriously optimistic precision...
>
>I very much doubt you could get a plate identified to a _month_ - and, 
>even then, you'd be relying on at least one car in the pic being brand 
>spankin' new...

I would know that a particular photo wasn't taken before a particular
date

Peter  gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying:

>>> I would like to pin the photo to a date that it couldn't have been
>>> taken before - nothing too accurate, the month would do

>>Wow. That's some seriously optimistic precision...
>>
>>I very much doubt you could get a plate identified to a _month_ - and,
>>even then, you'd be relying on at least one car in the pic being brand
>>spankin' new...

> I would know that a particular photo wasn't taken before a particular
> date

Sure, but a week after that date or five years after?

Try

http://www.numberplates.com/issued.aspx

"Malcolm" <malcolm$$1234$$@btinternet.com> gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying:

> Try
> 
> http://www.numberplates.com/issued.aspx

The very first plate I tried (pre-suffix, one of my fleet) was not only 
completely wrong about where the plate was issued, but didn't even take a 
guess on when.

I tried another. It guessed at a year - and was wrong by a couple of 
decades.

Adrian wrote:
> "Malcolm" <malcolm$$1234$$@btinternet.com> gurgled happily, sounding much
> like they were saying:
> 
>> Try
>>
>> http://www.numberplates.com/issued.aspx
> 
> The very first plate I tried (pre-suffix, one of my fleet) was not only 
> completely wrong about where the plate was issued, but didn't even take a 
> guess on when.
> 
> I tried another. It guessed at a year - and was wrong by a couple of 
> decades.

I tried a few of my former cars
Information correct for a 1957 Standard 10
Jowett Javelin shown as 1952, the year after it actually was
Triumph Mayflower was correct at 1952

So I agree it was not spot on, but mine wasn't as bad as your test.

Jim

In article <EvdCm.4143$KR3.1251@text.news.virginmedia.com>,
   Jim Warren  wrote:
> >> http://www.numberplates.com/issued.aspx
> > 
> > The very first plate I tried (pre-suffix, one of my fleet) was not
> > only completely wrong about where the plate was issued, but didn't
> > even take a guess on when.
> > 
> > I tried another. It guessed at a year - and was wrong by a couple of 
> > decades.

> I tried a few of my former cars
> Information correct for a 1957 Standard 10
> Jowett Javelin shown as 1952, the year after it actually was
> Triumph Mayflower was correct at 1952

> So I agree it was not spot on, but mine wasn't as bad as your test.

I tried my first car which had an Irish plate and it gave a spread of
dates which included the correct one.

-- 
*The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)"  wrote in message 
news:50ab8bb3c5dave@davenoise.co.uk...
> In article <EvdCm.4143$KR3.1251@text.news.virginmedia.com>,
>   Jim Warren  wrote:
>> >> http://www.numberplates.com/issued.aspx
>> >
>> > The very first plate I tried (pre-suffix, one of my fleet) was 
>> > not
>> > only completely wrong about where the plate was issued, but 
>> > didn't
>> > even take a guess on when.
>> >
>> > I tried another. It guessed at a year - and was wrong by a couple 
>> > of
>> > decades.
>
>> I tried a few of my former cars
>> Information correct for a 1957 Standard 10
>> Jowett Javelin shown as 1952, the year after it actually was
>> Triumph Mayflower was correct at 1952
>
>> So I agree it was not spot on, but mine wasn't as bad as your test.
>
> I tried my first car which had an Irish plate and it gave a spread 
> of
> dates which included the correct one.
>
Doesn't work for K14 NDH.

Which is sat outside a relatives house right now.

>Petert  gurgled happily, sounding much like
>they were saying:
>
>> Anyone have any idea if there is anywhere where I can date car
>> registration numbers? i.e. those issued before 1963 in England & Wales.
>> It would be helpful in dating some old photo's I have
>
  Try <Http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/index.jsp> and 
follow the link on the left-hand side to vehicle enquiry. Works for me 
most of the time.
-- 
Regards

  Leroy Curtis

Please replace "nospam" with "baram" in my address if you wish to
reply by Email

"Petert"  wrote in message 
news:8p9ed55p1cqhroibf4dngji5g5mjv16d18@4ax.com...
> Anyone have any idea if there is anywhere where I can date car
> registration numbers? i.e. those issued before 1963 in England &
> Wales. It would be helpful in dating some old photo's I have

If you can find a copy (it was published in the 1970s) there is a small book 
called "Where's it from, When was it issued" by Noel Woodall.

It has an ISBN of 0 85184018 2.  It has dates for the various letter groups, 
though not specific vehicles.

If you have a specific index you want to know, I will look it up and see 
what it says.

"Albert"  wrote in message news:hbcrih$1me$1@aioe.org...

> If you can find a copy (it was published in the 1970s) there is a small 
> book called "Where's it from, When was it issued" by Noel Woodall.

http://www.car-numbers.com/publications.php seems to suggest that it might 
be still available in an updated form.

"Albert"  wrote in message news:hbcrih$1me$1@aioe.org...

> If you can find a copy (it was published in the 1970s) there is a small 
> book called "Where's it from, When was it issued" by Noel Woodall.

Or you might find this helpful:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/johnstonrh/a30a35/regnos/index.htm#FILEDOWN

I had a book on Personalised plates(think it was by Noel Woodall???) which 
listed thousands of personalised plates and who they belonged to. In the 
back of the book was a list of all the Registration authorities and the 
letters they used and an even longer list of registration letters and the 
dates they were issued. I passed it on to a work colleague who was for ever 
asking me to borrow it. (He and many of his pals have vintage bikes) A 
search on ebay or amazon may reveal books for sale.
"Leroy Curtis"  wrote in message 
news:lw6CxUUU7e2KFwkY@baram.demon.co.uk...
>
>>Petert  gurgled happily, sounding much like
>>they were saying:
>>
>>> Anyone have any idea if there is anywhere where I can date car
>>> registration numbers? i.e. those issued before 1963 in England & Wales.
>>> It would be helpful in dating some old photo's I have
>>
>  Try <Http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/index.jsp> and follow 
> the link on the left-hand side to vehicle enquiry. Works for me most of 
> the time.
> -- 
> Regards
>
>  Leroy Curtis
>
> Please replace "nospam" with "baram" in my address if you wish to
> reply by Email

"Charles Hamilton"  wrote in message 
news:97mdnSuCN-uOh0HXnZ2dnUVZ8jidnZ2d@bt.com...
>I had a book on Personalised plates(think it was by Noel Woodall???) 
>which listed thousands of personalised plates and who they belonged 
>to. In the back of the book was a list of all the Registration 
>authorities and the letters they used and an even longer list of 
>registration letters and the dates they were issued. I passed it on 
>to a work colleague who was for ever asking me to borrow it. (He and 
>many of his pals have vintage bikes) A search on ebay or amazon may 
>reveal books for sale.

Certainly does. See
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=Noel+Woodall&_sacat=See-All-Categories

--
Ian

Jim Warren wrote:

> > > http://www.numberplates.com/issued.aspx
> > 
> > The very first plate I tried (pre-suffix, one of my fleet) was not
> > only  completely wrong about where the plate was issued, but didn't
> > even take a  guess on when.
> > 
> > I tried another. It guessed at a year - and was wrong by a couple of
> > decades.
> 
> I tried a few of my former cars
> Information correct for a 1957 Standard 10
> Jowett Javelin shown as 1952, the year after it actually was
> Triumph Mayflower was correct at 1952
> 
> So I agree it was not spot on, but mine wasn't as bad as your test.

I was quite impressed it knew two of my previous were re-registrations
(HFG 489T and BHY 130H) but it got the year wrong on 9994 MY - it was
1960 not 1961.

Locations were all correct on all the ones I tried.

-- 
Simon