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[582LTR]

Good evening. Does anyone have a copy of the 1959 Spring edition of the Glass’s index of registration numbers and could you look at what Derby CBC MRC registrations went up to in Oct/Nov before going to NRC.

Thanks

Martin

[109+1]

Haven't got the spring addition but looked in my general glass's index
mrc may58/aug58
Nrc nov58/Feb 59
 

[582LTR]

Thank you for this, do you know what number the MRC range went up to before the change? I’m trying to get some idea of the likely range my LR would have been registered in as it didn’t have plates or documents when I got it. I know it’s VIN and when it was despatched and to whom so narrowing down the likely time.

Martin

[582LTR]

Do you mean May - October 58?

[Manxcat]

Derby CBC must have had more marks than xRCnnn

LRCnnn ran from Oct 57 and ended Feb 58
MRCnnn ran from May 58 and ended Aug 58
NRCnnn ran from Nov 58 and ended Feb 59
ORCnnn ran from Apr 59 and ended Jun 59

(x = unknown letter
n = unknown number)

[Manxcat]

Derby CBC also had xCHnnn

LCHnnn ran Jun 57 to Oct 57
MCHnnn ran Feb 58 to May 58
NCHnnn ran Aug 58 to Nov 58
OCHnnn ran Feb 59 to Apr 59

 

[582LTR]

Thank you Manxcat, I hadn’t noticed the CH series. I wonder what they used between Aug-Nov as the RC wasn’t used. My vehicle was despatched 7/58 to the main dealer in Derby. I am also assuming the main dealer didn’t use a Derbyshire series, which was different.

I realised that all this is just blowing in the breeze but interesting to do.

Martin

[Herald1360]

Did they not just go 1-999 over the period of issue?

If not, why not?

[582LTR]

No is the simple answer and why I am not sure about. Sometimes they started mid sequence, like MRC started in May at about 550 (off the top of my head).

Martin

[Ian59]

Most of the time the numbers were indeed issued 1-999 but as Martin said, there were many exceptions. ‘Nice’ numbers such as whole hundreds (100-200 etc.) or triples (222-555 etc.) were often held back or sometimes issued early especially to municipal vehicles or other official bodies.
It was quite common for 999 to be held for issue onto emergency service vehicles.
It was also common to hold complete ‘blocks’ of numbers for issue to large fleet operators such as bus companies etc. Which may explain Martin’s question.
However, it was not unknown for councils to just stop before a series had been exhausted and start afresh with the next series although it wasn’t common.

[Ian59]

Just as a note Martin I do have record of MRC 1, MRC 3, MRC 21 and MRC 500 having been issued onto vehicles so ones before 550 were certainly in circulation.

[582LTR]

Thank you for that Ian59, I will have a look at what came before May but I think it was LRC. I’m not sure why they started mid sequence at that point. I don’t know whether it means LRC was exhausted and MRC started before May but that is a point of reference.

Martin

[w3526602]

Hi,

At one time, Barbara issued numbers to film and TV companies, on the understanding that those numbers would never be used on the road. The cars/vans/etc would be filmed with their own registration plates, and then changed by computer, for general viewing.

Some members of the public noticed a lot of vehicles (apparently) driving round their TV screens, with WN registrations, so decided all the filming was done in South Wales. Wrong, that was just the range of registrations that Barbara had available.

One certain "Joe Public" bought a van, and was given a "P" suffix, but he thought it should have been an "R" ... so he just painted in the stroke. That caused a lot of problems, as the computer was also scheduled to issue the "R" version. I believe it was sorted out in time.


Mike Worthington Williams (Google for details) Motoring Historian, used to express an interest in old copies of "price guides", as they gave details of model changes,

I think Mike is a year younger than me. His first vehicle was a motor cycle (1000cc JAP V-twin) and sidecar, which had been previously registered as a TAXI, in Tenby, West Wales.

Google will give you his "snail mail" address. Send him a letter (under stamp) with your request and email. Me? I'd enclose an SAE, too, as he may not yet have entered the world of emails. It's been a few years since we last met. I'm sure he will help if he can.

602

[Ian59]

Hi Martin, MCH came before MRH (Feb-Apr ‘58). LRC came before that (Oct ‘57 - Jan 58)
Cheers, Ian

Edit to note that Manxcat already noted when MCH was issued in his earlier post above!

[582LTR]

Ian59, thank you.

Martin