Choosing my number plate

[Jim1980]

I should be asking dealer but currently on a ship in the south atlantic and people on here more knowledgeable.

 

[Morganic]

What's the point of a cherished number plate? A lot you see are illegal by way of number/letter spacing and font and the owners should be prosecuted. Frankly some I've seen are pretty meaningless!
One family where I live when they have a new car when the new registration comes out then put on a cherished one after a couple of years. What for? to disguise its age!
Makes you wonder why anyone would want to draw attention to their vehicle.

Incidentally I have an exclusive number plate - no other vehicle has it !!!

 

[em13]

I work in the motor trade and each dealer is issued blocks of number plates for registering their vehicles. In our dealership we usually offer the customer their choice from our current list, but even if you aren't offered it shouldn't be any trouble for the dealer to ask them to let you pick from their list as long as one hasn't been assigned yet. Bear in mind that these days every potentially interesting registration is kept by the DVLA for auctioning off! You can either buy from their auctions or buy the latest (currently 66 plates) from their website at a fixed price. You can then transfer it on and off any vehicles you own (unless the plate is newer than the vehicle). I've bought a couple from the DVLA and have had VWA63N on my last 2 VWs. More expensive plates can be a nice little investment too!

 

[Brian Bongo]

What is the protocol for number plates on a new California? Does the dealer usually give a selection to choose from and if so, when does this happen? Hoping for CH17 LED and maybe avoid FA17URE! Also, after an order is placed, when is an accurate delivery date known? Never bought new before, v.excited.

Hi, I picked my up new Cali on Friday from VW Birmingham. I started looking for number plates a couple of months ago by going to the DVLA site and typing in different options to see what was available and for how much. Managed to find MY 06EAN which cost me £500ish with everything included. Happy hunting.

 

[Morganic]

Just I indicated above if it's used in that format it's illegal and DVLA could withdraw it,

 

[Loz]

As per my avatar I bought L 44 VWC (Loz 4x4 VW California) spacing is totally correct and as far as I'm concerned adds another unique feature to my Cali and was only £250 so a lot less than some of the features I could have added to my order.
This also hides the newness of the Cali and doesn't rub it in the faces of my neighbours.

Each to their own...

 

[2into1]

I've never understood why you are not allowed to alter the spacing on plates. I doubt that illegal spacing makes it impossible to be read by cameras, and in terms of helping folks remember your number if they see you committing an offence, it makes them easier to remember....ie MY 06EAN is easier to remember than MY06 EAN (there are better examples...but taking the one above).

I'm not trying to defend anything illegal. I wouldn't 'wear' an illegally spaced plate, and some of the stupid fonts you see are frankly ridiculous, but quite why the spacing can't be varied, I'm not sure.

 

[Amarillo]

More expensive plates can be a nice little investment too!

My grandfather paid £5 for the plate 1 BAR when it was released; my father sold it 10 years ago when he feared the possibility of an EU standardised number plate, that possibility has since become far less likely to affect UK plates.

 

[HectorPascal]

Only two plates have stuck in my memory: one was a Range Rover went barrelling past us in Scotland - plate: L8 MUM. Very good. The other quite recently on a matt black Porsche of some kind - plate DAR7H. Very cool.

 

[MattBW]

My plate which is currently on retention and not on a vehicle simply has my initials on it (and a number of relevance to me). It was pretty cheap and its not one that needs illegal spacings to make sense. I don't care if others don't get why I have it, its my money. I will admit I find it odd that the DVLA will sell you a plate based on a search to spell a word but its illegal to make it look like that word. Seems to be sending mixed messages.

We did have a motorbike around my town many years ago that had FUO 81T (but he had imaginative spacing and some little nicks from the letters to change it). It may have even been a C but I think those kind of plates that are obvious are now banned anyway.

 

[David Worthington]

I bought CA11 FOA a year ago but have yet to put it on our van because I rather like the plate it came with, which has the letters ZGY (Ziggy). Also I'm a bit ambivalent about 'smarty pants' number plates - a little too showy perhaps?

I may save CA11 for my next van - a T6 no doubt at some point - but have always thought CAII FOA would make a fab Christmas present for the Cali that has everything else!

Also I reckon a Ferrari California owner might present a high value option for a resale!!

 

[MattBW]

In the 80s they almost did a Porsche T25/T3, a few are out there.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/porsche-b32-the-porsche-camper-van-that-almost-was-1453489406

 

[David Worthington]

In the 80s they almost did a Porsche T25/T3, a few are out there.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/porsche-b32-the-porsche-camper-van-that-almost-was-1453489406

I want one!

 

[DESMODOM]

What is the protocol for number plates on a new California? Does the dealer usually give a selection to choose from and if so, when does this happen? Hoping for CH17 LED and maybe avoid FA17URE! Also, after an order is placed, when is an accurate delivery date known? Never bought new before, v.excited.

Hello the protocol for a Cali is to have a cherished number. If you're interested I have one for sale that I bought but didn't use for my Cali. The registration number is B17 VWC
I bought it as I have BI Turbo Cali, so at the time I planned to make the 7 look like a T.
Anyway, instead my Cali was later than anticipated so it ended up as a 15 plate.
So I had fun making up an interesting cherished plate using the 15 number.
The plate? TH15 CAL!

 

[Jabberwocky]

How about AB16VWC?

 

[WelshGas]

How about the Luck of the Draw!

 

[Days out]

Anyone with a 17 plate white California could do this... not available on DVLA until November. That's Tuesday. Just a thought!!!

 

[Days out]

...Or for a 16 plate Cali...