Lancia Motor Club

Elaine Moore's Dilambda was brought back from India by her late husband Prof Peter Moore in the lat 60s and issued a number with the sufix F. It's a 1929 car and she would like to change it for an age related number. AB 123,  AB 1234 or maybe ABC 123.

There are plenty available but they are pretty expensive! Has anyone got something suitable on a car or on retention that they would be willing to part with for a reasonable sum?

PM or email me if you'd rather than posting.

Robin.

I rather like the F plate - it is quite obviously not a kit car or any kind of replica put together in the 60s and as such it jumps out and poses the question "why?". 

As the answer is interesting I say its a good thing that the car is asking it.

David

Why pay for one? If you apply to the DVLA for an age related number and you have proof of the age of the car (you will need a LMC dating letter) you will be given one for free!

Don't they give you a "bitza" plate?  I did that for my Austin 7 and got an SVS prefix which "everyone" knows means "recently built special", one step up from a Q-Plate.  On my car I don't mind the honesty of that but to many they'd much rather not.

David

Not quite free, if my Augusta was anything to go by. They charged me £50 for a number which looked somewhere near, but had the numbers and letters reversed.
 Regards, John

When I restored my Flavia Sport and they refused to accept the original number (DUT70C) as I had no evidence apart from letters from the Flavia Consortium, LMC and the previous owner all certifying its authenticity. They gave me an age-related number (FRR37C) which is an old Nottinghamshire number too. No VS in sight.

I understand Elaine approached the DVLA and they were not prepared to play ball saying that they would only issue a plate reflecting the year the car was first registered in the UK. They suggested she buy one at one of their auctions!

When I bought my Dilambda the previous owner had not transferred the registration onto the DVLA computer in the 80s and it came with no V5. When I rang the DVLA to ask their advice as to what I should do they looked up the original number, said it was available and let me have it for free! I believe that ERF 294 is a 1937 number which is when my car was first UK registered and not a 1932 number which is when it was built. My V5 shows the first date of registration as 1937.

As far as the DVLA are concerned date of first UK registration seems to be the all important determining factor. 

Has anyone here applied to the DVLA and been issued a registration number earlier than the date of first registration as it appears on the vehicles V5? It is of course perfectly possible to transfer an earlier number you own.

Robin.

John, the £50 fee is a first registration fee. The only information the DVLA will accept is from recognized motor clubs, of which the LMC is one.  What you need to do is get an authority on Dilambdas within the Club to inspect the car, checking the chassis number, engine number etc, then contact Barbara Longlands who with the correct information so she will be able to issue an official dating letter.
If this letter is sent to the DVLA with a covering letter explaining that you want an age related plate and the year of manufacture on the V5 changed to the correct date you should be issued with a correct number plate for the age of the car. ONLY THE OFFICIAL LMC LETTER WILL BE ACCEPTABLE!  Your V5 will then state something to the effect 'first registered in the UK in 19** declaired manufactured 19**  

Thanks Ade, I'll give it a go although I wouldn't change from ERF 294. It might help Elaine.

I wonder who that authority on Dilambda might be!  ;D

Robin.

We did all of that, but DVLA wouldn't let me keep my old BML number, which the car had when it left the U.K. in 1964.
 Regards, John