help me date some registration numbers please?

trevorbrady

I've undertaken a little history project. To locate photographs and any info possible on the earliest of VW vans built in Ireland, 1951-1954. The so-called "barndoor" buses.

I have photos of quite a few gathered up at this stage and have dated lots of them but as you will know, some of the lesser populated counties had one letter-number sequence that could have spanned across 50-60 years before they got through the first 9999 registrations and the sequence changed to the next one.

If anyone could help narrow down the date ranges of any of these registrations, I'd be much obliged. Even down to the year. Bear in mind, they'll all be 1951, 52, 53 or 54.

thank you

ZF 5304


IC 4495 IC 6023


LI 6099


BI 5763


ZF 6531?


TI 7107


CI 6540 CI 6568


these two "CI" vans I have at least narrowed down to post mid-late 1953. I have a confirmed date of April '53 for the beetle CI 5798.

also, if you have come across any other photos or evidence of any 1951-1954 Irish VW vans, please share

kev1.3s

Nothing to share but love those pictures.

trevorbrady

cheers Kevin, that's only a sample, the ones I couldn't identify the years of. There are more in a thread on Eircooled. I have photographs of 27 individual vans at this stage. There were less than 500 built from 51-54 so 27 of those isn't a bad innings in terms of publicly available photos. For a pretty mundane subject matter in days of relatively expensive and inaccessible photography. Compared to nowadays of course. Some people take a dozen photos before breakfast and then another dozen OF their breakfast....

Jomcc

[these two "CI" vans I have at least narrowed down to post mid-late 1953. I have a confirmed date of April '53 for the beetle CI 5798.

also, if you have come across any other photos or evidence of any 1951-1954 Irish VW vans, please share [/QUOTE]

Who were the VW dealers in Laois back then Trevor?

The Big Red Fella

Why cant the powers that be regenerate these old numbers & we can get old Irish age related plates instead of the stupid silly re reg number system thats in place now? i have IC 9325 tucked away!

trevorbrady

Jomcc wrote: »

[these two "CI" vans I have at least narrowed down to post mid-late 1953. I have a confirmed date of April '53 for the beetle CI 5798.

also, if you have come across any other photos or evidence of any 1951-1954 Irish VW vans, please share

Who were the VW dealers in Laois back then Trevor?[/QUOTE]

this photo was presumably taken the same day as the interior shot above, the same vehicles are rearranged outside. Sadly, the dealership and all evidence of the building are long gone. Redeveloped into apartments I believe.

red sean

Interesting to see the VW ambulance. Were they 6volt like the Beetle?

trevorbrady

yep, until the bay window model came out in late '67

hi5

I'd say you would need to get in touch with the relevant County council.
Get them to find the nearest number on their system to the one you have and get the year from them.
Other than that limber up your typing fingers and get on the Motorcheck site and start entering numbers.

Jomcc

trevorbrady wrote: »

Who were the VW dealers in Laois back then Trevor?

this photo was presumably taken the same day as the interior shot above, the same vehicles are rearranged outside. Sadly, the dealership and all evidence of the building are long gone. Redeveloped into apartments I believe.

[/QUOTE]

Thanks, I actually thought it looked like there. At first thought it may have been Aldritts in Portlaoise but they were Ford Dealers as far as I know.

mattroche

My first V.W. Beetle was IC 4719 it was 1953. I also have photos of Moorpark Garage, Birr, which was owned by the late John Hoare, who was the Main V.W, dealer in South Offaly, taken in 1962/63. I worked there at the time. Cunninghams, Tullamore, were the main V.W. dealers in North Offaly.
John daughter kindly E Mailed them to me a few years ago. They brought back some very happy memories to me!

trevorbrady

thanks for the info matt. that puts IC 4495 as earlier than yours, so most likely also 1953 and IC 6023 may be into 1954.

any chance you could share those photos? I'd love to see them