SLK HPI car reg query

[tspar]

Having agreed terms with my independant dealer for a 2005 SLK 55 AMG on the proviso that I get proof of outstanding finance having been settled, I have also noticed a registration discrepancy. Its probably me being thick but the car was supposed to have been first registered on 17th Jan 2005 but the HPI is showing up that the first reg applied to this vehicle was WE52ERN on that date?. Now that to me means its registered as a 2002 plate car from Exeter. How can a 2005 car have a 2002 first reg or is it just a trade plate of some kind?. The details from my HPI are pasted below. Please could you all have a look and tell me what I must be missing please?

Alert Details
Plate Transfer
The current plate was transferred to this vehicle on 20/02/2011
N3RDY was applied to this vehicle on 26/11/2006
This VRM has been recorded as having an outstanding finance agreement
An outstanding finance agreement was recorded on 21/02/2011 against a 54 SLK55 AMG 2DR CAT AUT​

N33RDY was applied to this vehicle on 06/09/2006
There are no interests recorded against N33RDY​

SK54BMV was applied to this vehicle on 06/08/2006
There are no interests recorded against SK54BMV​

R94SLK was applied to this vehicle on 22/05/2005
There are no interests recorded against R94SLK​

WE52ERN was applied to this vehicle on 17/01/2005​

There are no interests recorded against WE52ERN

 

[GP801]

The original number was almost certainly a "cherished" number perhaps trying to say WESTERN. The SLK 55 was not available when 52 plates were used.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

The original number was almost certainly a "cherished" number perhaps trying to say WESTERN. The SLK 55 was not available when 52 plates were used.

Yes, that looks to be the case. The car has simply just had a number of cherished registrations applied to it, nothing to be concerned with so long as everything else checks out fine.

This appears to be a 2005 car (from the description 54 SLK55 AMG 2DR CAT AUT), a car can always have an older plate, hence the R & N prefix registrations that show in the plate transfer history too.

 

[tromppost]

How many owners "keepers" has it had, could be four ! that's a lot imo.

 

[Dieselman]

The original number was almost certainly a "cherished" number perhaps trying to say WESTERN. The SLK 55 was not available when 52 plates were used.

Id' go for Wessern.

Obviously owned by someone who chavs their plates...Avoid....