60 Plate Car

[mbenz76]

I have just seen a black BMW with a 60 plate. Am I missing something or are these not out until September?

Reg was JH60 CLM so not an old style plate made to look newer. There were no odd screws etc. and the car looked spanking new.

 

[The Boss]

something fishy going on?

Back to Future sequel?

 

[MOCAŠ]

Where was it when you saw it? Could have been being used in a photoshoot for an advertising campaign, in which case - if it was on a public road - it should also have been carrying trade plates somewhere.

 

[MercFanUk]

It's not on Askmid - are you sure you didn't miss read it?

 

[npuk]

Nothing comes up with that reg on DVLA site either. Sure it wasnt old style reg with 60 in it.

Edit: You can buy **60 *** plates on DVLA site already.

 

[mbenz76]

Not mis-read - I was alongside it in standing traffic so got a good look at it. I'm sure it read JH60 CLM, so no chance of it being an old plate either.

Just outside the centre of Sheffield on the ring road, very close (and heading towards) the BMW dealer.

No trade plates on the car unless they were in the windows and out of my view.

 

[MOCAŠ]

Edit: You can buy **60 *** plates on DVLA site already.

True, they've be on sale for a while now, but they cannot legally be used on public roads until 1st September.

 

[MOCAŠ]

No trade plates on the car unless they were in the windows and out of my view.

That's a distinct possiblility, although technically it's still illegal to use a car on trade plates if another number plate is more prominently displayed as it defeats the object. It'd be interesting to see what's on the tax disc (assuming it has one) if you see it again.

It's way too early for the car to have been pre-registered by a dealer, but the plate could conceivably have been put on the car by an owner who'd bought the registration and, shall we say, misunderstood the display regulations. Or the car could have had some kind of special dispensation for filming.

 

[mbenz76]

I wonder if it would flag up on a ANPR camera.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

I have just seen a black BMW with a 60 plate. Am I missing something or are these not out until September?

Reg was JH60 CLM so not an old style plate made to look newer. There were no odd screws etc. and the car looked spanking new.

J isn't one of the current aree identifiers, so it's either a private registration or a reserved range (some exist but I don't know if J is one of them) for advertising / film type use. As others have said a 60 plate cannot legally be on a car on a public road yet.

 

[mbenz76]

J isn't one of the current aree identifiers, so it's either a private registration or a reserved range (some exist but I don't know if J is one of them) for advertising / film type use. As others have said a 60 plate cannot legally be on a car on a public road yet.

That is interesting! And makes it even more curious!

 

[npuk]

JH isnt a regional identifier but JH60 *** plates are for sale on DVLA so most likely scenario is someone has purchased a private plate and has put it on the car early.

 

[mbenz76]

I do hope the police pull them soon then. How stupid can you get!

 

[MOCAŠ]

Amazing what a Google search can throw up.

"JH60CLM" returned what looks like a daily update email dated 10 June from the DVLA to number plate dealer National Numbers, listing this and several hundred other numbers. So, I'm guessing the number was subsequently purchased from them.

Intriguingly, the bottom of the page has a section headed "returned to available", listing about thirty numbers with prices. I wonder what "returned to available" means... sales that fell through, or perhaps plates that have been withdrawn due to misrepresentation? Probably the former...

 

[Spin_bowler]

Intriguingly, the bottom of the page has a section headed "returned to available", listing about thirty numbers with prices. I wonder what "returned to available" means... sales that fell through, or perhaps plates that have been withdrawn due to misrepresentation? Probably the former...

It could be numbers which were on retention certificates that had just expired.

 

[MOCAŠ]

It could be numbers which were on retention certificates that had just expired.

I didn't even think of that!

 

[TheStid]

JH isnt a regional identifier but JH60 *** plates are for sale on DVLA so most likely scenario is someone has purchased a private plate and has put it on the car early.

But surely then the car would be a 59 reg or older, and putting a 60 plate on a 59 (or older) reg car would be illegal at anytime, even after September as it is mis-representation?

 

[A-AvantGarde]

But surely then the car would be a 59 reg or older, and putting a 60 plate on a 59 (or older) reg car would be illegal at anytime, even after September as it is mis-representation?

Absolutley, can only be used on a 60 plate (Sept '10 or newer) which obviously isn't here yet...

 

[MOCAŠ]

But surely then the car would be a 59 reg or older, and putting a 60 plate on a 59 (or older) reg car would be illegal at anytime, even after September as it is mis-representation?

It's not quite that straightforward. The car would only be a 59-reg (or earlier) in the first place if it had already been registered.

If this was effectively an unregistered car displaying a '60' plate, then while it would still have been illegal for it to have been in use this early (assuming there were no trade plates or special permits in place), it would become legal to use on the road from 1st September, provided the plate had been assigned to it, of course.

 

[MD5]

A friend of mine bought his wife a brand new MGTF for her birthday, which fell a few days before the new registration letter. He wanted to unveil the car on their lawn on the night of the party, and successfully arranged for the car to be delivered before the end of the month. I know he had a hell of a job to persuade and reassure them that it wouldn't be used until legal, and maybe being a police inspector helped at the time, but that was only a matter of days, not weeks.