Old style car registrations

Pricey! · 18-03-2010 5:26pm

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Hi Carchaeologist,

My guess as to why IIO was not issued is because it was feared that some might take this mark to be the number 110.
OIO was also omitted and that could also have been because it was a mark that might have been misinterpreted as a number (in this case 010).
And IO looking like the number 10 could explain why Kildare skipped reverse IO and thus issued 1 ZW onwards after YZW 999.

Carchaeologist (assuming you are still following this thread), just wondering about ZFI. I lived in North Tipp in the '80s and I'm pretty sure a mate of mine bought a new Escort with a ZFI reg. I could be wrong of course, but you might want to check that. I had JIC 304, and 7535 FI, BTW

who the fug · 18-03-2010 5:50pm

nightster1 wrote: »

cork reg's ZF, ZT, PI.

PI was Cork city, the others were county

kelle · 18-03-2010 6:03pm

I knew this thread looked familiar when I started reading it, then saw it was started in 2003! Definitely Retro Boards...

I remember HI being a Donegal number, and ZN then AI being Meath regs.

I much prefer the current system.

I Love Tea · 18-03-2010 6:45pm

kelle wrote: »

I knew this thread looked familiar when I started reading it, then saw it was started in 2003! Definitely Retro Boards...

I remember HI being a Donegal number, and ZN then AI being Meath regs.

I much prefer the current system.

HI was a south tipperary reg along with GI

I Love Tea · 18-03-2010 6:50pm

Old style Irish reg numbers

kelle · 18-03-2010 8:05pm

I Love Tea wrote: »

HI was a south tipperary reg along with GI

Oops! I'll blame my dear father, he told me it was a Donegal reg!!!

carchaeologist · 18-03-2010 10:33pm

who the fug wrote: »

PI was Cork city, the others were county

ZF was the other City reg. IF,ZB,ZK and ZT were the county issues.

Pricey! · 19-03-2010 2:16pm

In a slightly-related way, here's a link to an album of photos taken in Dublin in 1961. The colour makes them look not that old, but it is 1961 all right. Interesting to see the litter-free streets, and the large number of TV Aerials in O'Connell St. Did they have RTE then, or was it for the BBC and UTV?

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/peprice1/DublinIn1961?feat=directlink

who the fug · 19-03-2010 3:10pm

31-12-61 TV started up

Pricey! · 19-03-2010 5:40pm

who the fug wrote: »

31-12-61 TV started up

Thought it was around that time. Seem to remember seeing some archive footage of Michael O'Hehir in O'Connell St doing an OB. And all the gurriers trying to get into the picture! So in 1961, they must have been watching the BBC or UTV.

We didn't get a TV until Kennedy got shot - that was Nov 1963. I didn't know whether to be happy or sad. Ended up being happy, cos I could see The Virginian.

carchaeologist · 19-03-2010 8:50pm

Pricey! wrote: »

Carchaeologist (assuming you are still following this thread), just wondering about ZFI. I lived in North Tipp in the '80s and I'm pretty sure a mate of mine bought a new Escort with a ZFI reg. I could be wrong of course, but you might want to check that. I had JIC 304, and 7535 FI, BTW

Sorry,i didnt see this post yeterday. The last issue in North Tipp before the new plates in '87 was 418 JFI,a green Bedford midivan,so maybe it was a reg from 1 AFI up to that?

Though it was possible to transfer old numbers back then legally once the original car was scrapped,so this could have happened too?

Go Harvey Go · 21-03-2010 1:52am

Pricey! wrote: »

Just wondering about ZFI. I lived in North Tipp in the '80s and I'm pretty sure a mate of mine bought a new Escort with a ZFI reg. I could be wrong of course, but you might want to check that. I had JIC 304, and 7535 FI, BTW

ZFI was indeed issued, between December 1976 and May 1977 - but apparently in error, as there was no Statutory Instrument legitimising its issue.

SI no. 128/1967, issued on 18 May 1967, only prescribed the KFI-YFI block:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1967/en/si/0128.html

I can only imagine ZFI was left out of this through oversight.

In a similar enough scenario, Donegal issued ZZP 1-407 in error in early 1982 - but here there was a good reason not to legitimise this mark, as it was seen to possibly clash with ZZ temporary registrations. When the error was discovered, ZZP was terminated and reverse IH registrations thus commenced with 408 IH.

carchaeologist · 21-03-2010 9:25pm

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

ZFI was indeed issued, between December 1976 and May 1977 - but apparently in error, as there was no Statutory Instrument legitimising its issue.

Indeed it was,but when he said a new escort in the 80s i reckon it might be just a bit of confusion with some of the other issues at that time.

In a similar enough scenario, Donegal issued ZZP 1-407 in error in early 1982 - but here there was a good reason not to legitimise this mark, as it was seen to possibly clash with ZZ temporary registrations. When the error was discovered, ZZP was terminated and reverse IH registrations thus commenced with 408 IH.

Indeed ZZP1 to ZZP 407 is one of the rarities/anomalies of the old system alright.Wonder has anyone a car nowadays with one of those numbers.
Im surprised they didnt re-register all those cars with 1 IH to 407 IH numbers to tidy it up,especially as no S.I. was issued.

Also while on the subject of that Tipperary north series,JFI 1 to JFI 999 was not issued(they call it "overlooked" in my book) but strangely 1 JFI to 418 JFI was issued in 1986 just before the new series in 1987.
Wonder what was so taboo about JFI?

Thomas828 · 22-03-2010 5:41am

Reading this thread reminds me of when I saw the odd ROI-registered car on the streets of Belfast. I wanted to have a car with a red number plate so that people would know where my loyalties lay! My aunt Brigit had a Datsun coupe with the registrarion 623 MZH.

carchaeologist · 22-03-2010 8:45pm

Thomas828 wrote: »

My aunt Brigit had a Datsun coupe with the registrarion 623 MZH.

Presumably a 100A FII?
Theres a UZH registered FII in this pic here from 1990.

carchaeologist · 22-03-2010 8:56pm

Some old pics from the early 90s ish
7908ZC.jpg?t=1269287564

And some old Garda cars,
Fiat Ritmo
FIAT20RITMO20201985.jpg?t=1269287665

And a Fiat 131,cant see what the number is though.
FIAT20MIRAFIORI201984.jpg?t=1269287734

Go Harvey Go · 22-03-2010 11:08pm

carchaeologist wrote: »

Also while on the subject of that Tipperary north series,JFI 1 to JFI 999 was not issued(they call it "overlooked" in my book) but strangely 1 JFI to 418 JFI was issued in 1986 just before the new series in 1987.
Wonder what was so taboo about JFI?

And if I'm right in thinking, Waterford City skipped UWI in 1985 - even though it was prescribed by SI no. 101/1970, issued on 11 May 1970, as part of the KWI-ZWI block (which was not finished as WWI 80 was the last issue before the change):

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1970/en/si/0101.html

I can only gather that it was thought UWI might be interpreted as "you wee" - but IMO that would be a bit like the SN07 scenario in Scotland three years ago, in that it's not all that offensive.

carchaeologist · 23-03-2010 1:03am

There was quite a few unissued marks, Kilkenny never issued KIP in either way either due to its apparent connotations with a Kiphouse,or a brothel.
IIP*** was issued in 1963,but was overlooked in the 80s in the reversal of that series for some reason.
Other unissued marks apart from the ones above we have discussed included IHI,IIO,IRI,ZMI,ZRI,ZYI,IIV,MIV,IIS,PIS,YIS

Anyone want to take guesses as to why?! Have they religious connotations perhaps? The church was ruling this country back in those days.

Strangely to my mind both DIE***(62/63) and ***DIE(79)were issued by Clare cc. Surely they wouldnt be good marks to have for the more superstitious people!

There may be more,i must check my records.

Thomas828 · 23-03-2010 1:45am

carchaeologist wrote: »

Presumably a 100A FII?
Theres a UZH registered FII in this pic here from 1990.

It might have been one of them. Her car was a 1981 or 1982 model.

carchaeologist · 23-03-2010 9:57pm

Thomas828 wrote: »

It might have been one of them. Her car was a 1981 or 1982 model.

I dont think so,623MZH june 1979 reg.Also it doesnt show on Mywheels.ie,so i guess it was scrapped prior to 1993?
Heres a pic of an irish one that was on sale on DoneDeal in the last few months

Those era Datsuns were a disaster for rot,i have a 1980 one myself,its the yellow one alongside my 76 estate.

carchaeologist · 23-03-2010 10:03pm

Heres some random pics i have on my computeer,apologies if some are reposts,and the quality isnt great from some of the phone pics.

carchaeologist · 23-03-2010 10:06pm

carchaeologist · 23-03-2010 10:09pm

carchaeologist · 23-03-2010 10:12pm

Go Harvey Go · 24-03-2010 12:22am

carchaeologist wrote: »

There was quite a few unissued marks, Kilkenny never issued KIP in either way either due to its apparent connotations with a Kiphouse,or a brothel.
IIP*** was issued in 1963,but was overlooked in the 80s in the reversal of that series for some reason.
Other unissued marks apart from the ones above we have discussed included IHI,IIO,IRI,ZMI,ZRI,ZYI,IIV,MIV,IIS,PIS,YIS

Anyone want to take guesses as to why?! Have they religious connotations perhaps? The church was ruling this country back in those days.

Strangely to my mind both DIE***(62/63) and ***DIE(79)were issued by Clare cc. Surely they wouldnt be good marks to have for the more superstitious people!

There may be more,i must check my records.

If I'm right in thinking, when three-letter marks were first issued in the mid-1950s, those that had G, S or V as the first letter were initially excluded.

Dublin didn't issue GRI, SRI, VRI, GIK, SIK or VIK, while Limerick omitted GIU, Mayo skipped GIZ, Tipperary South left out GHI and Kilkenny bypassed GIP.

This obviously had something to do with the fact that when this system was initiated for the whole of Britain and Ireland in 1903, it was decided that the letters G, S and V would only be used in Scotland. This restriction had long since become a thing of the past in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the mid-1950s, though.

It was only in late 1955 when the Republic joined in, with the prescription, by SI no. 249/1955, of the entire AIF-ZIF block to County Cork:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1955/en/si/0249.html

carchaeologist · 24-03-2010 1:35am

Interesting point there GHG,and its one i had not previously considered or had pointed out to me.
It would seem to be the case alright,unusually enough.
Also as an aside to this,
SI****,
ZG****,
ZS**** were only issued in Dublin (S.I. 9/1/86) when they were running short of marks in the 80s, ZV**** was to have been next up but the new system was introduced in 1987 before ZS ran out at ZS8709. This series was later used from around 1992 onwards for classic car importations,and it has lately been superseded by the ZV mark with five digits,a departure from 100 years of four digits issues. I personally dont agree with that type of plate myself,i think it would have been much more in keeping with traditional issues to have used an unissued series from pre 1987.

AIS1 to HIS990 was issued in Mayo (S.I. 26/6/81)in the 80s but IS**** never was issued.
And AGI1 to CGI871 was issued in Tipp south (S.I. 26/6/81)also in the 80s but GI**** again never was,nor was there an S.I. issued to cover them as far as i know.

gipi · 24-03-2010 9:53pm

Hey Carchaeologist,
Love the 2 VW beetles with consecutive reg numbers in the pics above (OZX 90 & 91)!

carchaeologist · 24-03-2010 11:25pm

gipi wrote: »

Hey Carchaeologist,
Love the 2 VW beetles with consecutive reg numbers in the pics above (OZX 90 & 91)!

Well spotted,OZX91 was restored by emilios in dublin at some stage,and OZX90 is still around,its owned by a publican in a villiage Camp in Kerry AFAIK. Also the Blue beetle at the top of the pictures is registered OZX79,this car is also still in existance though not in great condition.

carchaeologist · 26-03-2010 11:46pm

A few more

carchaeologist · 30-03-2010 10:43pm

Anyone else have photos or scans of period pictures from long forgotten albums in yer dusty bookshelves!? Id love to see some!

Old style car registrations

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