In Canada all we go by is the model year of the car so a car would be manufactured in 1997 it would be a 1997 Ford Focus for example.

So why does the UK use (A-Z) reg? What does it mean? Is there some kind of database where I can match the letter to the year? Because when I look at auto ads an M reg doesn't mean anything to me.

March 2004 - 04 reg
Sept 2003 - 53 reg
March 2003 - 03 reg
Sept 2002 - 52 reg
March 2002 - 02 reg
Sept 2001 - 51 reg
(New plates introduced)
March 2001 - Y reg
Sept 2000 - X reg
March 2000 - W reg
Sept 1999 - V reg
March 1999 - T reg
Sept 1998 - S reg
Sept 1997 - R reg
Sept 1996 - P reg
Sept 1995 - N reg
Sept 1994 - M reg
Sept 1993 - L reg
Sept 1992 - K reg
Sept 1991 - J reg
Sept 1990 - H reg
Sept 1989 - G reg
Sept 1988 - F reg
Sept 1987 - E reg
Sept 1986 - D reg
Sept 1985 - C reg
Sept 1984 - B reg
Sept 1983 - A reg

Thanks! So who ever thought up this brilliant plan?? Why put letters instead of using numbers? And why skip the I O Q U?

Thanks be that 'they' have changed to numbers finally.

I looks too much like 1, O looks too much like 0, Q is used, but for custom cars only I think and and dunno about U.

U looks like V.

5 looks like S, but that didnt seem to be a problem!

there's an S55 near me!

I thought Q was used for cars that had been either re-registered after having been insurance write-offs or imports, but could be mistaken.

Plus you got the month wrong t020 up until 1999 (the year that we started with 2 registrations) the month was August not September.

The letters I and Z were never used in Great Britain, being exclusive to Ireland.

Q was originally only used for temporary registrations, eg: foreign visitors; as a year-letter it indicates that the age of the vehicle is not known (or not proven).

As to why we use anything to denote the year of manufacture, imo it's due to pressure from the motor trade who rely on the 'keeping up with the Joneses' mentality of people. Some peopke are into cars as denoters of status and sporting a new car registration could imply that the owner has 'arrived'.

Originally posted by t020
March 2004 - 04 reg
Sept 2003 - 53 reg
March 2003 - 03 reg
Sept 2002 - 52 reg
March 2002 - 02 reg
Sept 2001 - 51 reg
(New plates introduced)
March 2001 - Y reg
Sept 2000 - X reg
March 2000 - W reg
Sept 1999 - V reg
March 1999 - T reg
Sept 1998 - S reg
Sept 1997 - R reg
Sept 1996 - P reg
Sept 1995 - N reg
Sept 1994 - M reg
Sept 1993 - L reg
Sept 1992 - K reg
Sept 1991 - J reg
Sept 1990 - H reg
Sept 1989 - G reg
Sept 1988 - F reg
Sept 1987 - E reg
Sept 1986 - D reg
Sept 1985 - C reg
Sept 1984 - B reg
Sept 1983 - A reg


Don't wish to be picky but you have missed out the overlap on years. That reads that all J reg (for example) would have been registered in 1991

My J reg was registered in 1992.

Q is used for all cars where they're original identification has been lost.

So this is custom cars that have been modified so much from standard that you couldn't tell what the original car was, and also cars that have been stolen and had their vin number removed.

The system is totally barking! Mind you, I think that they have fiddled with it so much that few people really cares about it anymore - even if they understand it.:loopy:

When buying a car it is necessary to understand it, as if you don't you could buy a car thinking its 5 years old when it isn't it is actually 12 years old.

Its fairly simple really.

Old cars go from A-Z with the single letter at the far right of the numberplate.
Newish Cars go from A-Z with the single letter at the far left of the numberplate.

The 3 letters clumped together indicate whereabouts in the country your car was first registered.

At least the new system is easier to understand for people.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
When buying a car it is necessary to understand it, as if you don't you could buy a car thinking its 5 years old when it isn't it is actually 12 years old.

Its fairly simple really.

Old cars go from A-Z with the single letter at the far right of the numberplate.
Newish Cars go from A-Z with the single letter at the far left of the numberplate.

The 3 letters clumped together indicate whereabouts in the country your car was first registered.

At least the new system is easier to understand for people.

Actually, only the last 2 letters indicate where the car was registered,

Sheffield's letters are WA, WE & WJ - eg AWA 121Y. They also used to use just W to identify a car that was registered in Sheffield, but that was back in the days when number plates only had one or two letters.

This is turning into anorak's corner!

HE and KY were also Sheffield and I think that DT (Doncaster) and ET (Rotherham) also became Sheffield when regional registration was rejigged many years ago.

If a car was registered in say, 1997 - in Sheffield. Then why can't they denote the place where it is registered as SH and the year as 97 or an appropriate single letter to signify when it was registered?

This system operates perfectly well in Spain: M= Madrid,
Z= Zaragova B=Barcelona MA= Malaga, and you at a glance where the car originated from.

Why is our system so mindbogglingly complicated?

Originally posted by mojoworking
Actually, only the last 2 letters indicate where the car was registered,

Sheffield's letters are WA, WE & WJ - eg AWA 121Y. They also used to use just W to identify a car that was registered in Sheffield, but that was back in the days when number plates only had one or two letters.

This is turning into anorak's corner!

I know :) But I was trying to make is easier for people to understand by saying in which area of the numberplate it was.

Infact they needn't be the two letters at the end, they can be the two letters at the beginning on old cars ;)

Because SM, you didn't take charge!!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Originally posted by markham
HE and KY were also Sheffield and I think that DT (Doncaster) and ET (Rotherham) also became Sheffield when regional registration was rejigged many years ago.

HE was originally a Barnsley registration.

RA, which covered part of Derbyshire, may also have been used.

More recently the following letter combinations have also been used for Sheffield:

AK, HL, KU, KW, WF, WG,

Originally posted by Skatiechik

Infact they needn't be the two letters at the end, they can be the two letters at the beginning on old cars ;)

That's only true if there are just two letters and the number (ie WA 123).

If there are 3 letters (ie AWA 123) then it's always JUST the last two letters which denote where the car was registered.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Don't wish to be picky but you have missed out the overlap on years. That reads that all J reg (for example) would have been registered in 1991

My J reg was registered in 1992.



Its meant to read as though J was BROUGHT OUT IN 1991, and continued UNTIL K was introduced in 1992. I should've made that clearer perhaps.

Originally posted by wendy

Plus you got the month wrong t020 up until 1999 (the year that we started with 2 registrations) the month was August not September.


Utter tosh. Go here for more info: http://www.parkers.co.uk/guides/index.aspx?guideid=0&section=57&page=58

In particular though:
"The demise of the older number plates was accelerated in 1999, when new letters were issued twice a year (in September and March) instead of just every August."

Originally posted by t020
Utter tosh.

In particular though:
"The demise of the older number plates was accelerated in 1999, when new letters were issued twice a year (in September and March) instead of just every August."

I suggest you re-read my post t020 because this is what I said. I wasn't having a go just pointing out an omission.