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MG MGA - Number Plate (and rear bumper)

quick note to report that I replaced my rear bumper and over riders with Moss parts, they fit perfectly and are of good quality. I used new bars and fastiners from Clarke Spares. All very good and easy.

I found a British Number Plate (tall variety) in an antique store in Manteo NC which I mounted to the rear of the car. The lamp bracket is adjustable and gives me enough height. My state plate is mounted below the bumper. Picture attached.

Can anyone in England perhaps tell me the source for QS as the code? From what I found on the web, Q was used for cars of indeterminate age or perhaps temporary registration? The owners emigrated here back in the early '80s. I'm trying to track them down and find out more about the plate's source.

The plate came with the GB (RAC) touring badge attached.

nice tidy garage, eh? check out the refrigerator in the back, it works!

Cheers,

Ted


Ted Persons

The Q registrations issued nowadays are in the format Q 123 ABC and are used for cars where the registration year cannot be determined such as kit cars made up from parts from several years.

Your number QS 1728 predates this and is part of a series issued in London to cars that were temporary imports. I'm not sure how long a car had to be in the UK to need one nor do I know when they stopped using the system but I suspect it was around 1964 when the system changed to allow a max of 7 digits rather than the previous six to be used. The list I have looked at was dated 1955 so they were in use then.
Malcolm Asquith

Thanks Malcolm,

The time frame seems just right. I'll be curious to hear more from anyone else and I'll continue to try to track down the prior owner over here.

I'm also curious as to the style of plate. I've seen this style on MG TD's and others in pictures,but for the most part, over here we see the long narrow variety. Was this an option for the taller squarish variant on the rear? it measures 9 x 12 inches in round numbers.
Ted Persons

HI Ted
Malcolm is correct. I have found my childhood book of 1960 on Automobiles and it has the Number Plates of the British Isles. I have attached a photo of a page for your info. The plate you have was issued by the LOndon C.C. Maybe DVLA or Heritage at Gaydon may help further.
Brian


Brian Paddon

Number plates can be either the long or squarish type but in recent times the square ones seem to be a dying breed. The square ones were common on the rear but there is no legal reason they cannot be used on the front but this is rare.

A bit more info. This was the caption on a website photo I found:

"The ‘Q’ series had a long history in Britain, starting in 1921. Another use for them was to temporarily register a visiting car from a country which did not subscribe to the international conventions. Thus they were unable to circulate using their foreign registration plates. This vehicle entered GB for a rally in 1932, and the Automobile Association issued it this QE 475 tag for the duration. The AA and the RAC were authorised to allocate these plates on behalf of the State, to facilitate motor tourism, as all the complex services were offered by those two venerable Clubs."

A further note on another photo says QK was in use in 1964.

In 1983 the format was reversed putting the letters after the numbers so that gives a last possible date for your number. QS was issued by the RAC (Royal Automobile Club)
Malcolm Asquith

Back in 1972 I was flying with the RAF in Germany. I came back to the UK to pick up my brand new duty free car to take back to Germany. I was issued with QM 6532 (just been to check it nailed to the wall in the garage). This allowed me to use the car in the UK for up to 6 months (if necessary) before exporting it abroad. I then had to keep it overseas for a minimum of 12 months before bringing it back (permanently) to the UK to avoid all the purchase taxes etc. When I did return permanently I was issued with the current registration number AUR 107N (1974), being the first date of registration in the UK. The Q plates were very common in those days with thousands upon thousands of military personnel doing the same thing.

The car was a Fiat 125 Special. Nice engine and transmission, rubbish bodywork as many cars were in those days. I remember saying to the salesman when I collected the car "...I hope this lasts me a few years." to which he replied: " I hope not, we want you back next year."

Steve
Steve Gyles

I would add that the British military in Germany had their own registration system. Once I got the car to Germany I was issued with a BFG (British Forces Germany) number plate. It was black with white lettering. Mine was HM 283B. They stood out among German number plates, so you always knew other 'military' cars - as did the IRA. So eventually the system had to be changed for safety reasons.

On return to the UK on visits the BFG number plates were displayed, not the Q plates.

Steve
Steve Gyles

In answer to Ted's questions (I should have put it all in one post but my brain did not think of all the issues at the time) the chances are that the Q plate in his thread was issued to a USAF officer/airman serving at one one of the UK bases. This could have been Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Greenham Common etc. The usual practice was for the new car to be bought (UK,European or USA manufactured) 6 months prior to repatriation to the States. The owner would not have paid any of the British purchase taxes, Road Fund Licence etc. At the end of the period the vehicle would have been shipped back to the States and suitably registered upon arrival. As it would be a used car by then it would not be subject to the full USA import duties.

Steve
Steve Gyles

The back end went together very well. I purchased the new bumper from Moss with the extras from Clarke Spares. I'm using two license plate mounts forcing one to fit inside of the other, one new one with my old original, one up, one down. The bumper and overriders fit perfectly.

I sent the bumper overrider bars for re-chroming and they came back looking great. There is a bolt on each that fits vertically to the overriders, however I won't drill through as these fit right to the edges. Instead I'll make a tab to fit under the top edge of the overriders. The bars were evidently an Amco accessory and have been the car as part of its history.

Does anyone else have these? I've only seen one other set in a photograph.

I like them, makes the rear a bit different and they are part of the history of this roadster.

Ted


Ted Persons

This thread was discussed between 17/05/2016 and 25/05/2016

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