The Car Thread

[MARKakaJIM]

Agree with most of that although a really nice private plate can look right on the right car.

The cheaper ones serve a purpose and the high end ones are very easy to sell with good investment potential so why not if you’ve got the money. The middle ground ones are a bit trickier as they still cost a lot to buy but are difficult to sell - you might find yourself waiting for sometime for someone to come along with the same initials and an account full of cash - plus of course the seller doesn’t get the advertised fee - that is minus broker fees and not forgetting the vat (not applicable on all plates but will be on anything with value).

Someone I knew in Cambridge had the plate ‘HOT 999’ on a knackered old BMW and wouldn’t sell despite being offered the sort of sums that would buy you a nice semi-detached house. Plates like that are always going to be the easiest to trade for obvious reasons.

Might seem odd to some but if I had the wedge and an outrageous Lamborghini I’d be right in for that myself.

What are we classifying as a 'really nice' plate that would set off a certain car? Are we talking the quality of the physical plate, which to me would be about as important as after market dust caps or internal mats, or still just the alpha numeric content, which I'd consider about as important as the order of the air conditioning output options.

Presumably your talk of cheap/high end is purely about content. Obvious certain combinations appeal to certain car owners who consider these things important, most noticable offenders in this regard from my experience tend to be owners of Audi TTs or Porsche 911s. Thank God so many of them have a desire to plaster the car model all over their pride and joy so ostentatiously otherwise I'd have no chance of recognizing those extremely distinctive cars in the way their designers intended.

 

[Lupo]

M + M, H Days, but particularly CHiPs. Loved seeing the big old cars which seemed a fantasy world away from our Morris Marinas and Austin Maxis.

I hate globalisation sometimes. One of the biggest disappointments of a trip to New York nowadays is the loss of the yellow checker cab. Those things should have been a protected species. Call me a dinosaur but I’d take a trip across town in a checker cab over the misery of one in a Toyota Prius any day.

Funny you should mention Marinas - my mate's dad had an orange Marina and we used to pretend it was the General Lee even though it was a K-reg banger the same age as we were

 

[Lupo]

I’m often surprised by this forum, thought the piss would be taken over the number plate chart I put up, instead the threads turned into a load of people sitting in a village pub beer garden in the sun chatting about number plates and old tv memories type thing.
Sign of a good forum I suppose that threads are allowed to go off track occasionally without an admin going Oi get back on track

United in our nerdiness!

 

[EpsomWolf]

What are we classifying as a 'really nice' plate that would set off a certain car? Are we talking the quality of the physical plate, which to me would be about as important as after market dust caps or internal mats, or still just the alpha numeric content, which I'd consider about as important as the order of the air conditioning output options.

Presumably your talk of cheap/high end is purely about content. Obvious certain combinations appeal to certain car owners who consider these things important, most noticable offenders in this regard from my experience tend to be owners of Audi TTs or Porsche 911s. Thank God so many of them have a desire to plaster the car model all over their pride and joy so ostentatiously otherwise I'd have no chance of recognizing those extremely distinctive cars in the way their designers intended.

That’s a fair question but it’s all very subjective. I saw Aus 1 on a Bentley the other day and just thought it looked classy - an awesome plate to own if you were an Aussie. Anything 2 letters and 1 or 2 digits look nice too imo, although those sort of values are for the billionaires. The pre-1962 dateless ones all look nice but lots of the later ones can spell some good stuff and look pretty cool too.

Understandable that sort of investment on something that is in reality completely unnecessary is going to trigger some emotional responses. People spend their money on all sorts of crap but a private plate seems ostentatious and thrust in the faces of everyone else.

I don’t have to much of a problem with it and like to see the ‘nice’ ones, but get why others feel differently.

 

[sycophantia]

I’m often surprised by this forum, thought the piss would be taken over the number plate chart I put up, instead the threads turned into a load of people sitting in a village pub beer garden in the sun chatting about number plates and old tv memories type thing.
Sign of a good forum I suppose that threads are allowed to go off track occasionally without an admin going Oi get back on track

Man you've just described 90% of me and my mates social life

 

[MARKakaJIM]

That’s a fair question but it’s all very subjective. I saw Aus 1 on a Bentley the other day and just thought it looked classy - an awesome plate to own if you were an Aussie. Anything 2 letters and 1 or 2 digits look nice too imo, although those sort of values are for the billionaires. The pre-1962 dateless ones all look nice but lots of the later ones can spell some good stuff and look pretty cool too.

Understandable that sort of investment on something that is in reality completely unnecessary is going to trigger some emotional responses. People spend their money on all sorts of crap but a private plate seems ostentatious and thrust in the faces of everyone else.

I don’t have to much of a problem with it and like to see the ‘nice’ ones, but get why others feel differently.

For me it's got nothing to do with the costs, it just seems a completely pointless exercise all round.

 

[The Bear]

I see drinking heavily pint after pint a pointless exercise, but other people seem to like it.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

At least alcohol has a measurable effect, changing a few letters on a piece of plastic doesn't

 

[leedswolf]

I remember back in the 70s seeing a Porsche 911 with the reg plate 911 HOT. Also saw a Ferrari Daytona with the reg 365 GTB...

 

[leedswolf]

That’s a fair question but it’s all very subjective. I saw Aus 1 on a Bentley the other day and just thought it looked classy - an awesome plate to own if you were an Aussie. Anything 2 letters and 1 or 2 digits look nice too imo, although those sort of values are for the billionaires. The pre-1962 dateless ones all look nice but lots of the later ones can spell some good stuff and look pretty cool too.

Understandable that sort of investment on something that is in reality completely unnecessary is going to trigger some emotional responses. People spend their money on all sorts of crap but a private plate seems ostentatious and thrust in the faces of everyone else.

I don’t have to much of a problem with it and like to see the ‘nice’ ones, but get why others feel differently.

Barnsley registration id used to be HE. The mayor's limo was THE 1.

Guernsey number plates are cool (the 'H' denotes hire car);

 

[Lupo]

Barnsley registration id used to be HE. The mayor's limo was THE 1.

Guernsey number plates are cool (the 'H' denotes hire car);

View attachment 7420

I first came to England in a Fiat 800 with Guernsey plates

 

[EpsomWolf]

I first came to England in a Fiat 800 with Guernsey plates

Geek alert.

Blimey, an 800? (Lengthened 600), or was it an 850, or even a 600? All cracking little motors but the 800 is incredibly rare. Some of those older Fiats are worth serious money these days.

 

[leedswolf]

most noticable offenders in this regard from my experience tend to be owners of Audi TTs

What's wrong with hairdressers?

 

[leedswolf]

Geek alert.

Blimey, an 800? (Lengthened 600), or was it an 850, or even a 600? All cracking little motors but the 800 is incredibly rare. Some of those older Fiats are worth serious money these days.

800 was a streched 500 wasn't it?

 

[EpsomWolf]

Hmmm, even Google isn’t clear. The 800 throws up a Seat Fiat 800 and possibly a South American variant.

Doesn’t appear to be a dedicated Fiat 800.

I dunno, we need more info Lupo!

 

[Keef]

These are Fiat 800s

 

[leedswolf]

That's a Fiat 800 Spider in the top image.

 

[leedswolf]

Hmmm, even Google isn’t clear. The 800 throws up a Seat Fiat 800 and possibly a South American variant.

Doesn’t appear to be a dedicated Fiat 800.

I dunno, we need more info Lupo!

Seat produced the 800 under a Fiat licence.

 

[Lupo]

Geek alert.

Blimey, an 800? (Lengthened 600), or was it an 850, or even a 600? All cracking little motors but the 800 is incredibly rare. Some of those older Fiats are worth serious money these days.

Apologies, I think it was an 850. I was very young so only seen it in photos!

 

[EpsomWolf]

The 850 was a cracking little car. Loved the coupe and the spider. Rear engine, interesting handling to say the least!

I had a MK1 X/19 and a few 127’s, one being a Palio no less. Mine were always cheap and knackered but great fun all the same. Always hankered after a Mk1124 Spider or a 131 Super Mirafiori. Crazy money nowadays.