master_toledo_915 Ever hear this one ? F'n hilarious !!
Oh yes! It was a challenge in school to try to say it properly We don't learn Welsh in schools in England, but it remains an official language of the UK (all exams and official documents and laws can be requested in Welsh) and is still taught in schools in Wales! In fact the DVLA (DMV) is based in Wales so anything relating to car registration often has Welsh writing too!
Fun fact !! I still can't do it but maybe someday I'll be able to !! O ok... Interesting they don't teach it yet it's official. Also interesting how Welsh is available upon request ! O wow I didn't know your DMV is based in Wales !!! Where are the plates made ? Wales ?
master_toledo_915 Fun fact !! I still can't do it but maybe someday I'll be able to !! O ok... Interesting they don't teach it yet it's official. Also interesting how Welsh is available upon request ! O wow I didn't know your DMV is based in Wales !!! Where are the plates made ? Wales ?
UK plates are made by independent garages, licensed to by the DVLA (which is based is Swansea, I believe )
To answer with a bit more detail, UK plates are made by garages, autofactors and anyone with a licensed machine to print / press plates in the UK. The font and spacing is strictly controlled by law, but the base (there are several ways to make plates here), and the style (maybe you have seen some with unusual shapes) is the choice of the owner/manufacturer. I used to make plates on a machine a bit similar to this, and then had to press the printout onto the thick clear plastic cover:
master_toledo_915 Thanks for the information !! How many of these garages exist ?
In addition to my post above (I missed this reply!). There are thousands! You can search for a list of 10 near a given area on the DVLA website: https://www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier For example, on the 10 shown, all of them are within a 10 minute drive of me!
Exige_240R master_toledo_915 Where are the plates made ? To answer with a bit more detail, UK plates are made by garages, autofactors and anyone with a licensed machine to print / press plates in the UK. The font and spacing is strictly controlled by law, but the base (there are several ways to make plates here), and the style (maybe you have seen some with unusual shapes) is the choice of the owner/manufacturer. I used to make plates on a machine a bit similar to this, and then had to press the printout onto the thick clear plastic cover: FCox143 which is based is Swansea, I believe Correct! [not my photo]
Damn !!! Machines licensed to print ! I thought the font and spacing was controlled by law. They're so consistent over there which is good, except Non Standard Plates sometimes seen. I think I've seen 2 different shapes, I'll have to pay more attention !! Very fascinating information ! I love the photo !! What is the actual plate material made of ? Thanks for the information !!
Exige_240R master_toledo_915 Thanks for the information !! How many of these garages exist ?
In addition to my post above (I missed this reply!). There are thousands! You can search for a list of 10 near a given area on the DVLA website: https://www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier For example, on the 10 shown, all of them are within a 10 minute drive of me!
Wow !! Thousands ? Amazing !! So plates in the UK are issued on demand without the use of Temporary Plates ?? Thanks for the Link !! I think I'll play with it a bit !! Amazing fact !!
master_toledo_915What is the actual plate material made of ? Thanks for the information !!
There are two common types of plates used in the UK. The nicest ones are reflective plastic (very thin, about the thickness and flimsiness of thick paper) which are printed on in the printer like above, and then have a thick clear piece of pre-cut plastic with adhesive on the underside stuck to the front printed side of the plate. Depending on who does it can depend on how well they are made and often you will find GB plates not completely straight and had the off cuts removed with a blade, but then you'll find some clear plastic showing without reflective sheeting! Then there are the cheap plastic ones that appear to be printed on the face and not treated. They usually only last a couple of years before fading / peeling / bubbling and generally look quite awful in my personal opinion.
And no, we don't have temporary plates in the UK, as plates are readily available in so many locations, you simply cannot drive without plates - although the chances are if you had all the documentation in the car and were going to get a replacement plate made you would probably get away with it...
master_toledo_915There is no durability on U.K. plates ??
Nope, This plate was on my FRP when I bought it in 2006, even without being damaged, it has been affected by the weather and got wet/dirty and started to peel apart! So I replaced it before the next MOT inspection (it would have failed). Plus I hated the tacky hexagon background which is somehow legal!
Personal tastes I guess It's just a very thin plastic-ish type base (like paper) stuck to a thick clear plastic cover for protection... The Tickford Logo is the name of the company who built the car. Sadly I was unable to get a new Tickford-only plate replacement due to plate law changes which require post codes and supplying plate manufacturer details, so I had to get a similar replacement that wasn't quite as original. The actual plate number is "T1 CKF" which is the closest you can get to "TICKFORD" on the UK plate system. I still own this car with this plate number, which was registered to the car when I bought it. There is a photo of the car HERE on Wikipedia that someone uploaded, I don't know who, with the plate I was using for a short while during the track-day and hill-climb season. I've not uploaded the car here yet as it's a car I just drive, and I have never really taken any "nice" photos of it after all this time... No idea why! And looking at the photos the car is looking a bit sorry for itself there with duct tape holding the mirror on (thanks to some vandals over night the week before this event) and cable ties holding the air inlet tube in place since the old bracket broke off - this car has factory installed prototype suspension designed for race tracks so it's very bumpy on the normal roads, and has worked several clips and screws loose over the years - and even snapped the weld on the under-strut-brace when I hit a pot hole on the road But the damages have all been fixed, don't worry