OT...A question for our Australian friends....

[frankieflathead]

Do you have what we call "vanity" license plates in some parts of the U.S. over there? They're also known as "custom" plates in some places. I ask because I've seen a few online like the pic of the Victoria state plate below, and have wondered whether they're legitimate registrations or just used for display at car shows. Thanx in advance!

[Andydodge]

Yep, we have had personalised number plates for about 30yrs now.......there are different rego authorites for each state and the 2 territories. I live in New South Wales(NSW) and here in Oz you get the normal issued plate when the car is registered the 1st time and stays with the car till the rego is not renewed.

Personalised plates here cost extra and its payable each year, up to $3-400.00 per annum, for different colours, styles,sizes and number/lettering configerations, tho I think the average is about $1-200.00............some states allow you to pay a once only amount and thats it, you should be able to check at the NSW Roads & Maritime Services website...........me?.......when the original idea of personalised plates was announced about 30yrs ago I applied for and eventually was told I could have "Dodge"..........unfortunately the costing structure changed whilst they were getting the scheme up and running and I couldn't afford it at around $200.00 back then which was more than the total rego cost for the car and was and still is an annual fee..........

........anyway have attached a pic of the 1940 Dodge showing plates that are there now, the original issued in 1940 rego plate would have been a 2 letter, 3 number plate in black with white letters, however when I bought the car in 1971 it had black & yellow plates "ECR-855" however they were faded and in poor condition, I traded them in for the GXL-942 plates that have been on the car since the mid 1970's.....the plates that are on the 1941 Plymouth on the other hand are those that were issued when I got the car'd registered in May 2007, as it was from another state and on club plates there it came to NSW unregistered.........anyway trust this helps, regards......andyd

[Desotodav]

Frankie, our personalised number plate system here in Queensland works similar to what AndyD said - except we pay a one-off fee when we purchase the plates. The plates belong to you once you order and purchase them from PPQ (Personalised Plates Queensland). They can be sold and transferred to another person at your leisure after you own them. Check out this link to the PPQ website for extra information.... http://www.ppq.com.au/ . PPQ allow you to design the plate that you are after and see if it is still available on their website. The prices vary somewhat between the different plates available. The ones that I have on my 52 truck cost $2295, but the ones that I bought for the wife's car (25 years ago) were only around $250. They are available in many different designs, combinations and colours. They are also available in standard and 'slimline' sizes - slimline size is a smaller sized plate as the title suggests. A smaller 'accessory plate' is available for use on bike racks etc..

I assume that the plate photo that you have attached is from a Victorian registered rare 4wd option of an XY Ford Falcon utility? There are some quite clever combinations out there.

There are many people here in Oz that consider themselves plate collectors. They buy up vast quantities of number plates and sell them on at a profit in years to come. I recall seeing a fella trying to sell an 'ELVIS' plate a while back for $2 million. There are always plenty of cool plates available for sale on Ebay - check out the current list... http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=queensland+personalised+plate&_ipg=200&rt=nc . See, you could be the proud owner now of the set of 'SELL NOW' plates for a cool $125,000 !!!

Desotodav

[frankieflathead]

Yep, we have had personalised number plates for about 30yrs now.......there are different rego authorites for each state and the 2 territories. I live in New South Wales(NSW) and here in Oz you get the normal issued plate when the car is registered the 1st time and stays with the car till the rego is not renewed.

Personalised plates here cost extra and its payable each year, up to $3-400.00 per annum, for different colours, styles,sizes and number/lettering configerations, tho I think the average is about $1-200.00............some states allow you to pay a once only amount and thats it, you should be able to check at the NSW Roads & Maritime Services website...........me?.......when the original idea of personalised plates was announced about 30yrs ago I applied for and eventually was told I could have "Dodge"..........unfortunately the costing structure changed whilst they were getting the scheme up and running and I couldn't afford it at around $200.00 back then which was more than the total rego cost for the car and was and still is an annual fee..........

........anyway have attached a pic of the 1940 Dodge showing plates that are there now, the original issued in 1940 rego plate would have been a 2 letter, 3 number plate in black with white letters, however when I bought the car in 1971 it had black & yellow plates "ECR-855" however they were faded and in poor condition, I traded them in for the GXL-942 plates that have been on the car since the mid 1970's.....the plates that are on the 1941 Plymouth on the other hand are those that were issued when I got the car'd registered in May 2007, as it was from another state and on club plates there it came to NSW unregistered.........anyway trust this helps, regards......andyd

Thanx, Andy. Yes it does. Two Sharp lookin' old cars you have there. Fees for personalized plates here roughly run from US$10.00 to $US95.00 depending on the state. That's above and beyond the cost of a regular registration, which also varies from state to state. In some, it's a one time only fee with normal annual renewal charges and others charge a higher first cost and then a lower annual renewal. These charges are exclusive of taxes. Seems like each of our 50 states does it differently.

It also used to be over here that plates either stayed with the driver and were transferred from old car to new, or, in other states, stayed with the car when it changed hands. Cheers!

Edited January 6, 2013 by frankieflathead

[frankieflathead]

Frankie, our personalised number plate system here in Queensland works similar to what AndyD said - except we pay a one-off fee when we purchase the plates. The plates belong to you once you order and purchase them from PPQ (Personalised Plates Queensland). They can be sold and transferred to another person at your leisure after you own them. Check out this link to the PPQ website for extra information.... http://www.ppq.com.au/ . PPQ allow you to design the plate that you are after and see if it is still available on their website. The prices vary somewhat between the different plates available. The ones that I have on my 52 truck cost $2295, but the ones that I bought for the wife's car (25 years ago) were only around $250. They are available in many different designs, combinations and colours. They are also available in standard and 'slimline' sizes - slimline size is a smaller sized plate as the title suggests. A smaller 'accessory plate' is available for use on bike racks etc..

I assume that the plate photo that you have attached is from a Victorian registered rare 4wd option of an XY Ford Falcon utility? There are some quite clever combinations out there.

There are many people here in Oz that consider themselves plate collectors. They buy up vast quantities of number plates and sell them on at a profit in years to come. I recall seeing a fella trying to sell an 'ELVIS' plate a while back for $2 million. There are always plenty of cool plates available for sale on Ebay - check out the current list... http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=queensland+personalised+plate&_ipg=200&rt=nc . See, you could be the proud owner now of the set of 'SELL NOW' plates for a cool $125,000 !!!

Desotodav

Thanx, Dave. You're quite right about that Falcon. I just about flipped when I found the pic of it on the web. None of our manufacturers have ever produced anything like it. While the body is nearly identical to a mid '60's U.S. Falcon Ranchero, they were sold over here only in 2WD configuration, using standard Falcon running gear. And our 4WD pickups have been just that : conventional U.S. style pickups. From your comment I gather that they're quite rare even in your "neighborhood".

There has been an active plate collector hobby over here as well for many years. It used to be that they were sold to old car guys mostly as garage decorations and for purely historical interest until about twenty years ago when some states started to allow the use of "YOM" or year of manufacture plates.

The way it works is this. If the owner of a collector car can find a pair of plates in good condition issued in the same year as his car, he can use them as his legal license tags, providing that the number is not currently assigned to another vehicle. This is easier than it might sound, as there are lots of plate collectors out there, and the numbers can be checked against existing databases or with the local state Motor Vehicle Registry office. They make a really nice finishing touch on an older car, whether it's original, fully restored or modified.

While some very early plates (pre WW I) can command some pretty high prices over here, I've never heard of any approaching the levels that you mention. WOW! Someone would have to be a real rabid Presley fan to pay even half that amount for an "Elvis" plate!

BTW, I'll post a pic or two of that high flyin' Falcon if you'd like, but I didn't think it was appropriate for this site, since it's an F-O-R-D.

Edited January 6, 2013 by frankieflathead

[Andydodge]

The 4wd 1971 Falcon Utes supposedly came about when the Jeep factory/assembly place in Qld went bust and there was a heap of 4wd parts available, well, enough to do 4-500 Utes............there is 2 in my local Clarence Valley area here in northern NSW, but they are a rare car ............and there is even NSW number plate "102" on a late model Toyota here in Grafton, the plate would probably be worth over $100K, the car maybe 20K.......lol...........regards, andyd

[Scruffy49]

I just dug out a 1974 TN plate this weekend. Was in the creek bed. Now I just need a 1974 truck to put it on...

I used to run a TN Walking Horse plate on my F250. Regular registration plus $55 plate fee + $35 per year extra to keep it. That was in 2000, have no idea what they run now. I'm not going to tag mine for a couple more years at least. At least here I only need a rear plate, the truck has the accessory front plate mount (came from Washington which requires 2 plates, and still has both 1963 series that expired in 1974 on it) but it's some kind of ugly...

[frankieflathead]

The 4wd 1971 Falcon Utes supposedly came about when the Jeep factory/assembly place in Qld went bust and there was a heap of 4wd parts available, well, enough to do 4-500 Utes............there is 2 in my local Clarence Valley area here in northern NSW, but they are a rare car ............and there is even NSW number plate "102" on a late model Toyota here in Grafton, the plate would probably be worth over $100K, the car maybe 20K.......lol...........regards, andyd

The prices you mention for those plates continue to amaze me. Are they valued that highly because of the low number or is there some other reason? Here in Vermont, if you want a low number (four digits) all you have to do include a note with your reg application for a plate "under 10,000" and you get one for no extra charge. The only downside is that you can't request a specific number. You just get one randomly assigned. I've been doing this for years.

[frankieflathead]

I just dug out a 1974 TN plate this weekend. Was in the creek bed. Now I just need a 1974 truck to put it on...

I used to run a TN Walking Horse plate on my F250. Regular registration plus $55 plate fee + $35 per year extra to keep it. That was in 2000, have no idea what they run now. I'm not going to tag mine for a couple more years at least. At least here I only need a rear plate, the truck has the accessory front plate mount (came from Washington which requires 2 plates, and still has both 1963 series that expired in 1974 on it) but it's some kind of ugly...

The catch with YOM plates in New York and Massachusetts (my home state doesn't offer them) is that you have to find a set that are still legible and in good condition and with a number that isn't being used on a current plate. Massachusetts does not allow old plates to be repainted, altho' some guys get around that by painting them after they're approved by the Registry.

[Andydodge]

Frankie, yep that "102" plate is from the 102nd car that got registered in NSW, back then, probably 1900-1905 you owned the plate outright when you reg'd the car.........apparently this plate was then put on an early 30's car in the 30's by the original owner and that 30's car was purchased by the father/grandfather of the person who owns the buz box its on now.........they own the plates and they would easily be worth $100k or more............but not by me....lol..........andyd

[frankieflathead]

Very interesting, Andy. Here in the States, one, two and three digit plates are also coveted by collectors and car owners. The original ones stem from the earliest days of motoring and do command higher prices, but there is one critical difference : because most states have gone through a number of plate redesigns and changes in numbering systems over the years, it's still possible to get a brand new plate in the current design with an extremely low number from some Motor Vehicle Registries (like in my home state of Vermont) for no more money than what would charged for a normal registration. The catch is that the number is picked randomly by the agency, and most of the really low numbers have been in use for years.

[Andydodge]

Frankie........checkout www.myplates.com.au its the place to order the personalised NSW plates........andyd

[frankieflathead]

Frankie........checkout www.myplates.com.au its the place to order the personalised NSW plates........andyd

Thanx, Andy. I will.

[Aussie D25]

What got me while I was on holiday over there was that you guys can have business names or the likes for a licence plates ???... no numbers just a name or a logo. The tour guide on one of our trips explained it but it still seemed so alien to our shores.

I was seeing them everywhere thinking to myself WHAT MADNESS IS THIS...it almost broke my concentration as I was screaming up the I5 in my TAHO rental

Oh by the way... Bravo America, In and Out burger should hands down be the cure for cancer. I mean those burgers are so damn good I thought I was going to have a food seizure.

[frankieflathead]

What got me while I was on holiday over there was that you guys can have business names or the likes for a licence plates ???... no numbers just a name or a logo. The tour guide on one of our trips explained it but it still seemed so alien to our shores.

I was seeing them everywhere thinking to myself WHAT MADNESS IS THIS...it almost broke my concentration as I was screaming up the I5 in my TAHO rental

Oh by the way... Bravo America, In and Out burger should hands down be the cure for cancer. I mean those burgers are so damn good I thought I was going to have a food seizure.

HA! Just as your tour guide's explanation left you wondering, so your description of this type of plate also leaves me scratching my head. This can probably be attributed to the differences in the products offered by the various states over here.

Back east where I live, it's all about numbers and letters. The restrictions are as follows :

A combination of letters, numbers, or spaces may be used. Up to 2 numbers are allowed for standard automobile, truck, agricultural, or municipal plates. The numbers must be in combination with 1-5 letters. For all other plates no more than 2 numbers are allowed. The Department considers "O" to be a number in all cases (i.e., the alphabetic character "O" is considered a zero).

A special plate is limited to seven (7) characters with the following exceptions:

Motor-driven cycle, motorcycle and small trailer plates are limited to a maximum of six (6) characters.

Handicapped plates are limited to a maximum of five (5) characters.

Antique and Exhibit plates are limited to a maximum of four (4) characters.

Dots and dashes or other special characters or symbols cannot be used.

The plate cannot begin with the letter "Z".

Use asterisks (*) to indicate spaces where desired ---if no asterisks (*) are used the characters will be centered on the plate.

A minimum of two and a maximum of seven characters may be used.

Vanity plates are issued under the following conditions:

No prior request has been received for the same combination of letters/numbers.

Special plates may be issued for any vehicle type except dealer and transporter.

A separate application must be made for plates for each vehicle.

No plate will be issued that is either offensive or confusing to the general public.

Delivery may take up to 30 days from date of application.

The only logos I'm familiar with indicate non-business entities, such as the owner being a veteran of military service, belonging to a fraternal organization (Masons, etc.), supporting wildlife conservation and on and on, not businesses. They appear on the sides of the tag, but a number / letter combination still must be included. Maybe the business logo thing is something unique to California.

These kinds of variations were created primarily to generate revenue for our cash-strapped state governments and have proven to be very popular with the motoring public. The downside is that, whereas plates used to be uniform in color for any given state, they're now all over the map making identification very difficult, especially if a car is whizzing by at 65 m.p.h. Since traditionally this has been one of the main purposes of affixing a tag to a vehicle, this has always struck me as somewhat absurd.

When I visited the NSW site that Andy recommended, one thing that I noticed is that you guys can apparently order custom color plates that match the color on your cars. That's wicked kool and, as far as I know, not offered by any U.S. DMV.

Sorry to rattle on like this, but I find the topic very interesting, despite not being a plate collector myself. And BTW, the In and Burgers are legendary over here, even though the franchise in not national.

P.S. Below is a pic of a personalized plate I had many years ago that should be easily decoded by everyone on this site. Cheers!

P.P.S. Hope you and all our other friends Down Under are finding ways to stay cool and out of harm's way.

[TodFitch]

What got me while I was on holiday over there was that you guys can have business names or the likes for a licence plates ???... no numbers just a name or a logo. The tour guide on one of our trips explained it but it still seemed so alien to our shores.

I was seeing them everywhere thinking to myself WHAT MADNESS IS THIS...it almost broke my concentration as I was screaming up the I5 in my TAHO rental

Oh by the way... Bravo America, In and Out burger should hands down be the cure for cancer. I mean those burgers are so damn good I thought I was going to have a food seizure.

Reference to "the I5" indicates southern California. Not sure where the transition is, but by the time you get to the San Francisco Bay area the "the" is dropped. Yes, In-n-Out burgers are good but the last I checked they were a regional chain so many of the US members of this forum won't know about them.

With respect to California vanity licenses, I am unaware of company logos being allowed. Has to be letters or numbers and can't match a normal number series. There is a wrinkle in that there are some symbols that can be used (hand and heart come to mind) but they don't count as far as the actual registration number.

[Don Coatney]

As Tod mentioned this is a regional chain not doing business in Tennessee. When I lived in California they were my favorite burger joint. I am amazed at how many In-n-Out burger T-Shirts I see Tennessian folks wearing. This makes for a great conversation starter.

[Andydodge]

Frankie, yep there are about 10 different colour/color (lol) combinations which you can then personalise with the various letter/numbers but as far as I know in NSW its still an annual fee......so me being of tightwad Scottish descent just has the free standard issue plates........lol...............andyd

[Scruffy49]

Lisa had SUCUBUS on her car when we lived in Mississippi. Not very many people figured that one out. I've had NOS4A2 on a motorcycle before, again, not many people could figure it out.

Our farm vehicles are easy, when I order them it will be our main crop and the model year. So my truck would wear PECAN49.

[Don Coatney]

Lisa had SUCUBUS on her car when we lived in Mississippi. Not very many people figured that one out. I've had NOS4A2 on a motorcycle before, again, not many people could figure it out.

Our farm vehicles are easy, when I order them it will be our main crop and the model year. So my truck would wear PECAN49.

I observed a lovely lady with this tag on her car. WDWNWF

[Desotodav]

Here's one for you Frankie... this NSW number plate sold recently at a Shannon's auction here for $93k... http://www.shannons.com.au/auctions/lot/SI65006A8BVD5MMF?cmpid=SHN:GI:PI:NPS:EDM:20120531:131&2473PSEM .

 

Desotodav

[Desotodav]

This NSW '51' number plate is for sale for $200k-$240k... http://www.shannons.com.au/auctions/lot/WWY4MW10A3G66WF0/?cmpid=SHN:GI:PI:NPS:EDM:20120531:131&2473PSEM .

A fella would really have to want his own 'tag' to want to put that on his car/truck!