subject: Private Number Plates - Then & Now [print this page] Private Number Plates - Then & Now Private Number Plates - Then & Now
A lot of people mistakenly believe that private number plates only become popular relatively recently. The truth of the matter is that they have been around since number plates themselves first became a requirement in Great Britain in 1903.
The Beginning of Number Plates
Even back in the 1600s, when transportation was relegated primarily to licensed carts, carriages had to display a coat of arms for their city as well as a number engraved on a brass plate. In 1831, the London Hackney Carriage Act underlined the importance of this by requiring that all stage coaches display plates that were numbered properly. It is easy to guess, then, that soon after automobiles were introduced to Great Britain, they too were required to have their own number plates. Due to the small number of vehicles on the road at that time however, the requirement to display a number plate did not come about until The Motor Car Act of 1903.
Number Plates Evolve
That Act stipulated that each vehicle had to have its own unique registration, which had to be displayed on a plate with an alphanumeric display. Every Licensing Authority within Great Britain was given its own unique letter from the alphabet. When single letters ran out double letters were used to allow more vehicles to be licensed. Every letter, or set of letters, had a series of numbers after it which could amount to no more than 4. At the time, cars, motorcycles and lorries were all given separate registers, which quickly became problematic since it sometimes meant that three vehicles could have the same number plate or registration.
The Introduction of Private Number Plates
It was at this point that the first private number plates truly came into being, even though plates were brand new. The first registration to be issued in London; A1, was designated to Earl Russell, a member of London's Council who is said to have queued over night to get the coveted plate. He sold it four years later to the Chairman of London Council. This was possibly the very first private number plate sale in Great Britain. Since then there have been many private number plates owned by lots of other very important individuals.
Private Number Plates Today
Today, number plates serve pretty much the same purpose, although technology has changed the way they are issued. Earl Russell was an important and esteemed gentleman and the desire to display the private number plates A1 on his Napier vehicle was partly down to vanity. Private number plates are still bought for the same reasons that they were back in the early 1900's. Each one has a personal meaning to the driver or owner of the car. It could be a name, a job title, a hobby, or even something very private and personal to the owner which they may choose not to reveal. Thankfully there are now specialist dealers who buy and sell registrations, so it is no longer necessary to queue over night to obtain your very own private number plates.
