Licence plates - for reg

mikemac

I was considering putting this in the All Things Retro forum but I might get better info here

And I did search boards before you ask

My Dad was telling me years back when they introduced our current yearly system, some would buy a car late in the year, maybe November but you'd even see it as soon as August and drivers would put "for reg"

So suppose you buy a car in October you wait until the January and get your new plate

Have I been told a lie?
Seems very quaint and the relaxed attitude we have in Ireland

Doubt you could get away with this nowadays :eek:

-Corkie-

No he is spot on allright..:D

That ended years ago though some time in the early noughties iirc.

Atlantic Dawn

It was widespread, I'd say a blind eye was shown to it as it increased sales for the garages towards the end of the year when sales are typically low. Not exactly sure how the VRT element of it worked as the car would be sold in say December with no plate and then garage would register and VRT car in January, if the rate jumped I'm not sure who would be out of pocket.

corktina

was still common in 89 when I bought my Kadett LX. Was not registered for some weeks and I actually had to chase the garage to do the paperwork. I think it was often the case that the car would be released before a number was allocated, which took some time then but now is almost instantaeous.

Big Nasty

Jeez, I haven't seen that in years! :eek:

Now wait 'til you hear this, and it's very, very sad that I remember it: one of the Irish kids programmes, the likes of fortycoats or whatever, once had a skit on unregistered cars. Was something to do with a monster that liked to eat cars and got himself in to an awful lot of trouble for it, and the solution was to make some cars available exclusively for him to eat or whatever he did with them. The monsters name was, wait for it, Reg. Hence 'For Reg'!

True story, no way you could make that up on the spot!

Henry Ford III

Loads of "for reg" plates running around before VRT was introduced.

Reg was a lucky guy.

robtri

wow, that brings back memories....

FOR REG

forgotten all about that..

colm_mcm

About 12 years ago before she got rid of it we replaced the flaking number plates on my mothers 89 Corolla. Sure enough 'for reg' was still on the boot door 10 years on.

It was the only way to easily identify a brand new car back in the old reg system (unless you're carcheologist!)

Joe10000

That brings back memories, Ireland in the "good" oul days.

mickdw

I know a guy who bought a fiesta van is 89 and didnt reg it til early 91, 1.5 year later.
Its not long ago that I remember someone remarking: They have the plates on them now before you take them out.

To be honest, there was something nice about the new cars without plates. New cars with plates fitted didnt quite seem new for a long time until everyone got used to the idea.

johnayo

Was very regular in the 70's and 80's. Buy the car for christmas and register the following january.

mountain

reminds me of seeing cars, (not very often) with a sign in back window
saying "car being run in, please pass"

bazz26

Back in Sep 1980 my old man bought a brand new Ford Fiesta, had the "For Reg" written on cardboard on the boot until the following Jan when it was registerd as a 1981 car. Those were the days.