Adrian wrote to uk.transport.london on Fri, 24 Jun 2005:

We're actually the oddity in that respect. France has plates which change
whenever it's re-registered into a different department. Germany's similar.

France's laws change in 2008, when they will no longer have regional
plates but a format of AA 123 AA, where AA are 2 letters & 123 are 3
numbers. I believe drivers who wish to do so *may* have a regional or
departmental indicator to the right of their number-plate; an "F" in
European stars to the left will be (I think) compulsory. No
personalisation will be possible - you will have to take what you get.

In Belgium, I'm told, the number-plate belongs to the driver, not the
car, and, like our system, personalisation within the limit of the
system is allowed. In the USA, though, some personalisations seemed to
bear no relation at all to the way cars were normally registered!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005