In message , at 17:38:39 on Sun, 9
Aug 2009, Ivor Jones remarked:
Personally, I've never understood why plates in the UK have to show the
year of issue anyway.

It was a way of supporting the car industry, by making it obvious how
old people's cars were, so they felt more obliged to buy a new one. And
they chose August to change because that's otherwise the quietest month
of the year for sales.

In the USA the car makers have a similar scheme, which they implement by
making visible annual changes to the look of the car.
--
Roland Perry