Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

See pics.
Jim

Actually, I`ve already bet ?29.95 on the correct answer.

P.S. and excuse the thread drift, my seat belts are just less than perfect but Quickfit will replace the webbing for ?27.50 per belt which seems very reasonable.

Presumably we're talking 1972 L reg if you're going with the black/white option?

I've gone down that route with my S4 and used a made up B/W plate on the back with the individual letters/number on the front grill but mainly because I couldn't come up with a locating method for a reflective front plate that I was happy with. I don't think B/W front with reflective rear would tick too many MOT boxes.

I've also wondered whether the lack of reflectivity compared to a yellow plate and the relatively poor rear lights on the Elan (again compared to modern cars) could have you close to invisible on a dark, wet, night. But then again 90% of my mileage is daytime.

no brainer....
silver on black.....
I did exactly the same on mine....came with black on yellow but I changed to silver on black as the car is a '68

Silver on black, no question. A classic with reflective plates always looks wrong to me.

P.S. We are quite lucky in the UK to be allowed to use original style plates.

Silver & Black but 1972 style and ?17 cheaper !!

theelanman wrote:no brainer....
silver on black.....

Agreed!

My February '72 ?lan has raised black on yellow & I think it's fine.

That's been on the car since new.

Jim - what was on yours when you had it first time round ??

From DVLA

Colour and dimensions[edit]





Black number plates with white or silver characters are permitted on vehicles registered before 1 January 1973. This vehicle was registered in Truro.




The front plate of a vehicle registered in County Down.
Number plates must be displayed in accordance with The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001.

All vehicles manufactured after 1 January 1973 must display number plates of reflex-reflecting material, white at the front and yellow at the rear, with black characters. This type of reflecting plate was permitted as an option from 1968: many vehicles first registered before 1973 may therefore carry the white/yellow reflective plates and, where they were first registered during or after 1968, they may have carried such plates since new.

In addition, characters on number plates purchased from 1 September 2001 must use a mandatory typeface and conform to set specifications as to width, height, stroke, spacing, and margins. The physical characteristics of the number plates are set out in British Standard BS AU 145d, which specifies visibility, strength, and reflectivity.[1]

Number plates with smaller characters are only permitted on imported vehicles, and then only if they do not have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval and their construction/design cannot accommodate standard size number plates.[1]

The industry standard size front number plate is 520 mm ? 111 mm (20?" ? 4?"). Rear plates are either the same size, or 285 mm ? 203 mm (approx 11"x8") or 533 mm ? 152 mm (approx 21"x6"). There is no specified legal size for a number plate. For example, the rear number plate of a Rover 75 is 635 mm x 175 mm.

The material of UK number plates must either comply with British Standard BS AU 145d,[2] which states BSI number plates must be marked on the plate with the BSI logo and the name and postcode of the manufacturer and the supplier of the plates or

"(b) any other relevant standard or specification recognised for use in an EEA State and which, when in use, offers a performance equivalent to that offered by a plate complying with the British Standard specification, and which, in either case, is marked with the number (or such other information as is necessary to permit identification) of that standard or specification."

as specified in http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001 ... ule/2/made The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 (Statutory Instrument 2001 Number 561), Schedule 2.

Older British plates had white, grey or silver characters on a black background. This style of plate was phased out in 1972, and is now legal to be carried only on vehicles first registered before 1 January 1973. A vehicle which was first registered on or after 1st January 1973 shall be treated as if it was first registered before that date if it was constructed before 1st January 1973 (as specified in http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/made PART IV MISCELLANEOUS).

Motorcycles formerly had to display a front plate, which was usually but not always a double-sided plate on top of the front mudguard, curved to follow the contour of the wheel and visible from the sides. The requirement for the front number plate was dropped in 1975 because of the severe danger these presented to pedestrians in the event of a collision. Motorcycles registered after 1 September 2001 may only display a rear number plate, while motorcycles registered before that date can display a number plate at the front if desired. From January 1973 onwards, the front plate is white and the rear plate is yellow.

Specialist HM Forces vehicles use non reflective black plates with white lettering. This is because in combat, the reflective plate can be used for targeting by laser guided weapons. The UK forces use a completely different system of numbering.

My 1970 Scimitar also had raised black letters on a reflective background from new, and a mates 1968 S4 Elan, G reg, also had the same type of plates. These were optional from 1968, but compulsory from 1973 as stated above.

Yes I know as a march `73 car it`s technically illegal but as it`s just passed its MOT with silver digits on the black front grille and reflective rear, clearly it`s not a big issue, it`s a risk I`m prepared to take.
The question was a joke as I`ve already bought the, more tasteful, silver on black plate with digits to match the front.
Jim

A vehicle which was first registered on or after 1st January 1973 shall be treated as if it was first registered before that date if it was constructed before 1st January 1973 (as specified in http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/made PART IV MISCELLANEOUS).

if its on free road tax then its a pre 73......
(I know this is going to change but as yet this rule still applies)

Well, last week I took the V5, first registered March `73, private light goods, not historic, with MOT and insurance to the local post office, explaining the taxation class needs changing. She just scanned the V5 and said yes that`s ok, here`s a free tax disc and even sent the V5 to Swansea for alteration.
How refreshing.
Jim

I know its changing but prior to that if you could prove manufacture date was before 1st Jan 73 no matter what the reg date you could get free road tax......

Salut

adigra wrote:P.S. We are quite lucky in the UK to be allowed to use original style plates.

We're lucky in France, too.

theelanman wrote:I know its changing but prior to that if you could prove manufacture date was before 1st Jan 73 no matter what the reg date you could get free road tax......

Had to do something like this for my car. It was originally registered in NI, which despite being part of the UK, has (had?) a seperate registering agency. The car was later re-registered in the UK so my V5 gives the date of first registration as 1981 - and this with the original NI plates ! The NI DVLA were very helpful and dug in their paper documents to help me out.

@+

Vernon

Not sure if this has been posted before but black & white or black & silver number plates can now be fitted to pre January 1st 1975 vehicles,
Mick