And even more bizarrely, it seems that it was registered with that plate when it was fresh off the boat.
I'm wondering if the date of first registration in its native country wasn't recorded at the time of import – that's the only way it could receive this reg (discounting bribery, of course!)
The only time I've seen cars having newer registrations than they should is vehicles such as Land Rovers that are ex-military. Despite the year of manufacture being disclosed, some of them receive plates based on when they become "registered".
You can see more of this sorta thing by clicking the link below; some of what you'll see will totally blow your mind! https://www.flickr.com/groups/dvlantics/pool/