Ivor Jones wrote:

Personally, I've never understood why plates in the UK have to show the
year of issue anyway. Most other countries don't seem to think it
necessary. And why change *twice* a year..?

Lobbying by the car makers, trying to stop the annual surge in car
buying in August caused by the annual change. This in its turn was due
to lobbying by the car maufacturers in the 1950s, who wanted to increase
sales by making it painfully obvious that your current car was *far* too
old to be fashionable.

France, Germany, Holland and Belgium, to name just a few, have plates
that relate to the owner, not the car, so when you buy a new car, you
keep the plate, while the new owner puts his plates on. We're one of
very few countries that keep the plate with the vehicle for the life of
the vehicle.

--
Tciao for now!

John.