car number plates

Each vehicle requires its own unique form of identification, for legal and safety reasons, and this was implemented by having the DVLA create a system of car number plates.

When car reg plates were first introduced, they were a combination of one or two letters and numbers. However, as cars became more popular, and the amount of cars increased rapidly so that virtually every household had one, it became necessary to invent a regular and recognisable registration format to help identify the vehicle. As a result, in about 1963, suffix registrations were introduced to identify the year by a letter on the registration plates for all vehicles.

When the alphabet was used up, the year was then indicated by a prefix registration, with the year identifier being at the beginning of the combination on the reg plates. The year identifiers did not include the letters I, O, Q, U and Z, as these are saved for special vehicles, such as kit cars, and the letters I and O are the same as numbers, so would be confusing.

When a special combination of letters or numbers is desired, thus making a personalised car number plate, it is necessary to purchase that registration plate separately. Car Marks, have been dealing in registration plates for longer than anyone else, and are invaluable in helping with this procedure.

Please see the Car Marks homepage for further information