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General Number plates from Germany

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General Number plates from Germany

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jim cooper

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I know this is not strictly a Stilo question but has anyone ordered metal number plates from a website in Celle, Germany. They provide stamped aluminium plates with white or yellow backgrounds and British registration numbers. I'm fed up of our tacky, cheap looking plastic plates but wonder if the German stuff would be legal over here as the fonts are the same as used on domestic German plates:
http://www.theplateman.com/home.htm
 
Last edited:
jim cooper said:
I know this is not strictly a Stilo question but has anyone ordered metal number plates from a website in Celle, Germany. They provide stamped aluminium plates with white or yellow backgrounds and British registration numbers. I'm fed up of our tacky, cheap looking plastic plates but wonder if the German stuff would be legal over here as the fonts are the same as used on domestic German plates:
http://www.theplateman.com/home.htm
Click to expand...

I'm afraid that they'd be considered illegal by the plod and you'd be subject to a fine...
 
I wouldn't worry about it too much, Lets be totally honest, when was the last time you actually saw a copper who wasn't just holding a speed gun on a motorway overpass?

A chap near to me has been running a set of white on black metal german style plates for maybe 3 years. See him about a lot in the car, they're still there so I guess no pulling over.

Depends where you live, some constabularies are more focused on the niggly little things to rake in the cash for their piggy banks than actually worrying about catching proper criminals. I'd go for keeping the originals in the boot and if pulled say, "Oh drat, I've recently been to an enthusiasts gathering, and I forgot to change them back, let me just fix the problem cont-stable."
 
Andymacselespeed said:
I wouldn't worry about it too much, Lets be totally honest, when was the last time you actually saw a copper who wasn't just holding a speed gun on a motorway overpass?
Click to expand...
This afternoon (y) Copper giving a car a very thorough going over on the A180 lol
(Sorry, couldn't resist :))
 
Andymacselespeed said:
I wouldn't worry about it too much, Lets be totally honest, when was the last time you actually saw a copper who wasn't just holding a speed gun on a motorway overpass?

A chap near to me has been running a set of white on black metal german style plates for maybe 3 years. See him about a lot in the car, they're still there so I guess no pulling over.

Depends where you live, some constabularies are more focused on the niggly little things to rake in the cash for their piggy banks than actually worrying about catching proper criminals. I'd go for keeping the originals in the boot and if pulled say, "Oh drat, I've recently been to an enthusiasts gathering, and I forgot to change them back, let me just fix the problem cont-stable."
Click to expand...

Personally, I just think, why bother? Why draw attention to yourself? Let the coppers follow some chav rocket while I go and spank my Q car down a country road :D
 
I didnt have the tax displayed on my car for nearly a year. I only got pulled up on it once and that was in a shoping centre carpark whilst i was stationary.
 
I don't think there is anything that says a plate has to be made out of plastic. Surely this just developed in the trade as a way to make a lot of dosh out of a cheapskate product. On the other hand there are no end of regs specifying the width, height and spacing of the letters and numbers.
 
jim cooper said:
I don't think there is anything that says a plate has to be made out of plastic. Surely this just developed in the trade as a way to make a lot of dosh out of a cheapskate product. On the other hand there are no end of regs specifying the width, height and spacing of the letters and numbers.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid the law says that modern cars registered in the UK have to have white reflective front number plates and yellow reflective rear number plates. Only cars registered before a certain date are allowed to use black number plates and that date is somewhere in the 60's I think...
 
Greggers said:
I'm afraid the law says that modern cars registered in the UK have to have white reflective front number plates and yellow reflective rear number plates. Only cars registered before a certain date are allowed to use black number plates and that date is somewhere in the 60's I think...
Click to expand...

Doesn't say plastic though ;)

You can get some legal metal ones, but insurance company probably won't like them.
 
These German plates are white and yellow (and also reflective as far as I can tell) and the letters are black, so the only differences to ours are the fonts and the fact that they are aluminium and not plastc. You can see examples on the link in the first posting on this thread.
 
Not really. Metal is better than plastic and the first yellow and white plates (around 1968) in Britain were in fact metal with a reflective coating. IMHO British plates are the tackiest in Europe and when water gets between the layers they look even worse.
 
jim cooper said:
Not really. Metal is better than plastic and the first yellow and white plates (around 1968) in Britain were in fact metal with a reflective coating. IMHO British plates are the tackiest in Europe and when water gets between the layers they look even worse.
Click to expand...

No argument from me there. I do dislike the UK plates. I'd love to have Italian style plates on the car but just can't be bothered with the hassle of the police paying attention to me. My driving is already...erm... spirited :D
 
jim cooper said:
I don't think there is anything that says a plate has to be made out of plastic. Surely this just developed in the trade as a way to make a lot of dosh out of a cheapskate product. On the other hand there are no end of regs specifying the width, height and spacing of the letters and numbers.
Click to expand...

According to VOSA, all number plates used on UK registered vehicles can only be supplied by manufacturers registered on the "Register of Number Plate Suppliers" and must include the suppliers name and postcode along the bottom center of the plates and the BS AU 145d mark in the bottom right hand corner of the plates.

It's unlikely a German supplier could comply with this criteria.
 
Davren said:
According to VOSA, all number plates used on UK registered vehicles can only be supplied by manufacturers registered on the "Register of Number Plate Suppliers" and must include the suppliers name and postcode along the bottom center of the plates and the BS AU 145d mark in the bottom right hand corner of the plates.

It's unlikely a German supplier could comply with this criteria.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this info. I had also heard about registered suppliers of number plates (it applies also in Northern Ireland) but a quick scan of local cars showed many without the BS mark or the plate supplier.
 
QUOTE VOSA "The Road Safety Act 2006 extended the Register of
Number Plate Suppliers scheme to Scotland and Northern Ireland
from 1 November 2008, in addition to England and Wales. From
this date it will be an offence to supply number plates that do not​
comply with the law."

So.... plates made before 1st November in Scotland and N.I. did not have to comply with the regulation.
 
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