Re: Dating car registrations

#1

Petert <peter.thomas (AT) brightchro (DOT) me.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying:

Quote:

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?

#2

On 15 Oct 2009 14:01:32 GMT, Adrian <toomany2cvs (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

Petert <peter.thomas (AT) brightchro (DOT) me.uk> 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

#3

Petert <peter.thomas (AT) brightchro (DOT) me.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying:

Quote:

(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?

Quote:

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.

Quote:

, The A35 ran for a while also.

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

Quote:

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...

#4

On 15 Oct 2009 14:29:43 GMT, Adrian <toomany2cvs (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

Petert <peter.thomas (AT) brightchro (DOT) me.uk> 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

#5

Peter <peter.thomas1899 (AT) gmail (DOT) com> gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying:

Quote:

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?

#6

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

Quote:

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.

#7

Adrian wrote:

Quote:

"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

#8

In article <EvdCm.4143$KR3.1251 (AT) text (DOT) news.virginmedia.com>,
Jim Warren <jimwarren (AT) OMITblueyonder (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

Quote:

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 (AT) davenoise (DOT) co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

#9

"Dave Plowman (News)" <dave (AT) davenoise (DOT) co.uk> wrote

Quote:

In article <EvdCm.4143$KR3.1251 (AT) text (DOT) news.virginmedia.com>,
Jim Warren <jimwarren (AT) OMITblueyonder (DOT) co.uk> 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.

#10

Quote:

Petert <peter.thomas (AT) brightchro (DOT) me.uk> 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
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