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[Herald1360]

JSJ would appear to be an age related reg. SJ lasted right up to 1963.

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/registrations/sj.htm

[Porkscratching]

Somewhere along the line the original reg no for that ID has clearly been sold and the age related number issued.....highly likely the ID off a scrapper, screwed onto something land rover shaped to get an mot in order to flog the number etc etc..maybe even the motor here in question..

[w3526602]

Hi,

An "S" in the registration indicated it was issued in Scotland (but I can't remember where the relevant "S" was positioned, so feel free to correct me). Scotland had more than their fair share of old, unissued registrations.

602

[Porkscratching]

Certainly in the late 90s early 2000s any age related plate seemed to have an S in it..KSL and the like...the story goes that they were Scottish numbers that never got used up due to low demand there, i also heard some were supposed to be old bus numbers ! 

[Herald1360]

Wales had a few too, FO (Radnorshire) only reached EFO, FF (Merionethshire), HFO. Maybe others?

[w3526602]

Hi,

At one time, any registration with an "S" meant it was Scottish, but I can't remember where the "S" was located in the alpha sequence.
 
Porkscratching comment seems to indicate is was the second character of the three.

Similarly, A "Z" indicated it was an Irish (Northern?) registration, but that does not seem to apply to current registration formats.

MAN was only issued in the Isle of Man, and I don't think it can be transferred to Mainland cars.

Jersey has a think a single character ... "J["/b], but my memory is blank about Guernsey.

Feel free to correct my memory, and add any that I have missed.

602

[Porkscratching]

Northern Ireland plates had a letter I in them, giving rise to some interesting plates that say something..OIL +4 numbers for instance..

[w3526602]

Hi Porkscratching,

I agree about the "I" ... both "I" and "Z" were Irish. I wonder if Northern and Southern made the difference?

I met lots of "Z" at DVLA, but can't remember many "I". But I did notice a ls of coaches in the Swansea Valley, with "I". I have a vague memory about alfa and numeric characters not being mistakable for each other.

602

[w3526602]

Hi,

For a spell, Barbara was in Cherished Numbers at DVLC. She mentioned that the computer refused to let her issue a registration with just  two alfa characters ... FO   said, "You can't give them that!"

"That's what they told me at work, but nobody would say why".   I told her. "Oh!"

I have vague memories of "4KOV" (or something like that being issued). I suspect the author of the "Big Book of Naughty Registrations" didn't think of that one. There is something in my mind that ladies were considered unsuitable for that particular job

Testing! Testing! How long before this mail gets vetoed?

Anon.

I just asked Barbara ... she says there's no suck book.

[Porkscratching]

There must have been, protocols for this kind of thing, and surely must have been written guidance issued somewhere..

[Mr Pickles]

Pickles' registration number is an age related plate, issued when her original was transferred to a BMW Coupe!

It starts "USJ" followed by three numbers.
It's a Glasgow plate and is not transferable!
So that's a vote for "S" for Scotland!

I have an Irish registration on my Toyota Avensis,  which is 3 letters and 4 numbers BNZ****.
I bought it as my nickname at work, for 42 years, is Bonzo.
I tell people it's Bonzo with "nothings" taken away! 
My ex colleagues, still refer and call me that!
It was useful having a nick name, when your team of twenty included eight Pauls!

Mr.P

[Wittsend]

As you may know under the "old" registration numbering system of 3 letters/3 digits and latter when reversed ...

The 2nd & 3rd letters were Area Codes relating to counties and major boroughs.

All Scottish registrations were either *S* or **S
OR - anything with an S in the 2nd or 3rd place was first registered in Scotland.
Except for *SZ (Irish) - *ZS was never issued.
Similarly anything with an "I" as the 2nd or 3rd letter were registered in Ireland.

This was all hunky dory until the mid to late 1960's when the concept of "Cherished" numbers were "invented" and a whole business of personalised plates started up.
Previously a famous Conservative PM for Worcestershire acquired a whole fleet of cars with NAB 1 to NAB 8 for his family - he was Sir Gerald Nabarro.
 
Nice reg letter/numbers could be transferred to your new (posh) car and (what we call now) an age related number was assigned to the donor vehicle.
The DVLC used unused number allocations from mainly Scotland (the "S"s) and some of the smaller Welsh counties - e.g. Radnorshire with *FO

I remember a friend of mine acquired PAU 1 and close to us there was an E-type Jag with 1000 UP etc. etc.
This was fine until dealers started to transfer numbers to mopeds and lawn mowers.
The DVLC started to tighten up the rules.   
And then the "prissy" letter/number combinations list was drawn up.

  Let's not have a list of dubious registration numbers 

I think we all know that 666 was not allowed - yet - 5EXY was put on a red Mini - I saw it!
So, clearly some dubious combinations slipped through the DVLA net, and this was before people started messing with the colour of the fixing screws and playing with the letter spacing - leading to more legislation 

One thing to remember is not every reg number containing an "S" is on an age related plate.
Land Rover did sell some vehicles in Scotland (and Wales).

In the early 1960's they started to run out of the 3x3 format and they invented the year suffix and then the year prefix combinations and then we have the current abomination...





Summary of the History of the UK car registration numbering systems

 

[Wittsend]

Is it me getting old ... was the original question

This book may help:-

[oddjob]

My Grandad bought the cherished plate that now resides on my Series 2 back in the 1950’s. Think it probably involved a brown envelope down at the issuing office.
In the 1960’s there was a book published of private plates and their owners and there’s a photo of him He’s quoted as saying the government should start selling the plates to raise income.  Must dig the book out sometime.

 

[w3526602]

It was useful having a nick name, when your team of twenty included eight Pauls!

Hi,

At RAF, when I was a trainee (later permanent staff) we slept in 40 bed billets (from WW2), we had Paddy 1, Paddy 2 , Paddy 3, Jock 1, Jock 2,and  Jock 3, Taff 1, and  Taff 2 . Also a couiple of Scousers, and a Brum. Also a Lofty, and a Titch.

Don't argue with Titch (all 5ft of him). A gang of 5 drunken Pongos threw a beer bottle, which shattered near him an his wife. He yelled at them to "Watch it!", so they came and asked if he was looking for trouble? Three of them managed to run away.

I wonder if this will get passed the forum censor?

602
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