Number Plate Stories
Plates reunited
By Ruby Speechley
Reuniting an old car with its original number plate doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, you somehow think that external forces must have played a part.
Michael Aplin bought an Austin 7, 1930’s Box Saloon in 1997. “It didn’t come with the original number but it did have a plate relating to its age. The previous owner of the car had discovered that WP 55 was its true number. I thought this was interesting to know, but I assumed it was impossible to ever hope that I might be able to buy it. Some time later I happened to be glancing in the newspaper when I saw WP 55 being advertised! Well I just couldn’t believe my eyes. It cost several thousand pounds which I considered excessive at the time and reluctantly decided not to pursue the matter, although I regularly checked to see if it was still for sale. I made further inquiries which confirmed that my car had been originally registered with this number in Worcester.”
“Twelve months went by before I noted that the number was no longer being advertised. I assumed it had sold and I suddenly bitterly regretted not buying it. I thought the chance to reunite my car with her original number was lost forever.
“It was a month later when I noticed that it was being advertised again at a higher price. This time I didn’t delay, I phoned up straight away and bought this very special number.
“Re-uniting my classic car with her original plate has brought my wife and me a considerable amount of pleasure, though I fear at times that it is at the expense of our children’s inheritance. I’m hoping the plate will increase in value as time passes, so that they will still have something of value from us when we pass away. In the meantime, I can safely say that the car and plate will never be parted again whilst they remain in our possession.”
Phillip Haslam from Derbyshire had a similar experience. He imported a 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans from St. Louis, Missouri, a car that was once owned by Sir Malcolm Campbell. “Campbell purchased the car new, shortly after he took the World Land Speed Record,” said Phillip, “he always chose a number one registration and had his cars sprayed ‘bluebird’ blue, to match his original car.
“I was pleased that the car came with the original number, ALW 1, but when I contacted the DVLA, they told me that the number was no longer assigned to my vehicle. Since the car had been in America since the 1960’s, it was understandable that the paperwork had lapsed. Still, I was bitterly disappointed to find that ALW 1 was now owned by someone else. The DVLA were unable to give me details of the new owner, so I resigned myself to thinking that I would never get it back.
“It was several months later that I happened to be glancing at the number plate listings in the Sunday Times. ALW 1 leapt right out of the page at me! I couldn’t believe it! I’d never even thought of searching for the number, I didn’t think for one moment that it would be for sale. It is such incredible fate that the number was available the very first time I’d ever looked at one of these adverts. What a great relief it is that the car is once again reunited with its original plate.”
