Number plate design

BrianD3

Question on number plates. If we go back to pre 1987 regs were there legal requirements for the design and colour of the plates. I remember that 70s and 80s reg cars usually had black on white front plates and black on red rear ones. The plates were constructed of plastic letters on a metal plate.

Whereas older cars from circa 1970 and older usually had silver on black front and rear with the characters embossed into the plate.

Anyone know exactly when this change in plate design happened.

I think the silver on black look better but I'm also an anorak for originality and correctness so if I had a 1980 car I'd try to get the red and white plates for it.

corktina

i like the red rear plates too, you dont see many nowadays.I would be interested to hear of any place capable of making them still.....

Silvera

Pre-1987 plates had to conform to a specific size re the letters/numbers.

Going way back to the early days of motoring, registrations were hand-painted onto a vehicles bodywork.
Then metal plates were introduced - again sometimes such plates had regs simply painted onto them.
Embossed/Pressed plates were first introduced c.1905 and as time progressed these plates became lighter as aluminium was used (i.e. from c.1950 on).

White front and Red rear plates became optional in Ireland from December 1969. (i.e. you could still use silver-on-black plates until 1986)

As regards getting red plates made up ......
I too have inquired in a few places over the years about red plates. It seems most (all?) motor factors/garages simply threw out their surplus red metal plates in the late 80's/early 90's !

However, I was informed the Broadside Motor Factors (in Waterford?) can supply red rear perspex plates.

Another supplier currently starting to make red plates is Steve Frampton www.buy-a-plate.com

If anybody here actually gets red plates made up, please let us know ?!

Hope this helps.

Silvera.

BTW, I too like originality on cars and would buy red plates if I had an appropriate car to fit them to (even if it was an import reg (e.g. 80WW )

corktina

thanks for that....fab

BrianD3

Thanks for the info Silvera. You're the number plate expert around here

corktina

i like standard plates too:D

Silvera

BrianD3 wrote:

Thanks for the info Silvera. You're the number plate expert around here

Thanks.......I think?

G Luxel

around the mid 90s i had those silver and black plates but they were the ones
that looked like they were hand painted. I believe they were a short lived english design from the early seventies where the numbers were painted about 5 times within each other. sort of like russian doll style if you know what i mean. But i went to a plate manufacturer called Monplate and the lady behind the counter told that the machine broke down and they could not get the part replaced. I had to settle with silver perspexed in black and it looked terrible.