The situation in the UK is slightly different from that in many other
countries, in that the plate issued when the car is new nearly always stays
with the car, through changes of ownership and/or location of the owner. So
we tend to regard the plate (ie the registration number) as being part of
that car. It is used as the primary means of identification, the chassis
number and other details only normally being used as a double check that the
car is what it purports to be.
I would agree that the obsession with numbers is a somewhat unfortunate,
although this started outside the old car hobby. It is basically the product
of what is now a thriving business in transfering plates around, the
licensing authority (DVLA) hold sales of the 'better' plates and dealers
charge vast sums, sometimes tens of thousand of pounds.
So coming back to the old car enthusiasts. As far as I am aware, the
stripping of plates from old cars is normally to stick it on some new BMW or
Porsche, not onto another old car (there may be exceptions). There is
actually no reason to scrap a car in this case anyway, as DVLA issue
replacement numbers. The lower value of a 'stripped' car is usually because
it no longer has a 'nice' plate that can be stripped!
Take the case of a friend. He has a Frogeye Sprite, number was SUN xxx
(number withheld to protect the guilty!!) - original plate - quite apt for a
ragtop. He was able to sell that plate for enough to make a nice
contribution to the restoration. The car now wears a less memorable plate.
So who is the mug? The guy that strips the plate but keeps the car, or
whoever paid for that plate?
The other thing that happens is that if a registration has lapsed many years
ago, if sufficient evidence can be provided then DVLA will re-issue the
original plate - assuming it is still available. So cars that have undergone
40-year restorations or have been pulled out of a scrap yard can regain
there original plate. As I mentioned earlier - we see it as being part of
the car (like having being proud of a car that has 'matching numbers')
Neil
> I agree, the number plate thing is insane.
>
> However, CA is relatively sane on this one, take a trip
> to the homeland of our cars and see what I mean.
>
> The crazy brits treat a car without it's original
> plates the way an American treats a car with a salvage title,
> a total second class citizen.
>
> Even worse, cars with good numbers but low value are often scrapped
> for the plate alone, to put it on some other car to
> make it look more "correct".
>
> "Hey, that's a cute little Morris Minor. I'll buy it
> and crush it so I can put the correct Sussex-area-issued
> plates on my E-type."
>
> What's stranger to me is that even sensible Brits do
> this. Practical Classics is a really great magazine and
> normally they are full of down to earth tips for real
> world enthusiasts, not show-off junk for the posers. However,
> they too play the numbers game.
>
> One of their recent project cars was a wreck but
> they couldn't help but restore it because they said
> the number plates were "OEL xxxx" and it gave the
> car the cool nickname "Oh 'ell".
>
> They really need to move to North America where if
> but for lack of space they could have the license
> plate - "Hi. My name is Trevor, this is my car, hope
> you enjoy it as much as I do. I think the Sens are
> going to go all the way this year, have a good day."
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