Pressed Metal Car Registration Plates

[Phill Fenton]

Pressed metal plates were used on cars in the 50 and 60’s – have you gone and bought yourself an old classic?

[David Rogers]

New as in in pre 1973?

‘Legal’ pressed plates should be compliant in regards to retroreflectivity and EEA (EU) standard. If not as reflective as a standard plate / type approved you risk getting £60 fine for non-compliant plates from your local plod if they so choose.

Below is regs…it’s a popular discussion on car forums, although typing in ‘pressed steel number plates’ gives a variety of suppliers…still all need to see documents though as no such thing as ‘legal show plates’ these days. (If it looks like a number plate in place of a number plate…then it IS a number plate so it’d better be a legal one – so says the powers that be)

quote :

REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION PLATESPART 1VEHICLES REGISTERED AND NEW REGISTRATION PLATES FITTED ON OR AFTER 1ST SEPTEMBER 2001 (MANDATORY SPECIFICATION)1. The plate must be made of retroreflecting material which, as regards its construction, colour and other qualities, complies with the requirements of—
(a)the British Standard specification for retroreflecting number plates published on 15 January 1998 under number BS AU 145d(1), or
(b)any other relevant standard or specification recognised for use in an EEA State and which, when in use, offers a performance equivalent to that offered by a plate complying with the British Standard specification,
and which, in either case, is marked with the number (or such other information as is necessary to permit identification) of that standard or specification.
2. Where the registration mark is displayed on the front of the vehicle, it must have black characters on a white background.
3. Where the registration mark is displayed on the back of the vehicle, it must have black characters on a yellow background.
PART 2VEHICLES REGISTERED ON OR AFTER 1ST JANUARY 1973 AND BEFORE 1ST SEPTEMBER 2001 (OPTIONAL SPECIFICATION)1. The plate must be made of reflex-reflecting material which, as regards its construction, colour and other qualities, complies with the requirements of—
(a)the British Standard Specification for reflex-reflecting number plates, published on 11 September 1972 under the number BS AU 145a(2), or
(b)any other relevant standard or specification recognised for use in an EEA State and which, when in use, offers a performance equivalent to that offered by a plate complying with the British Standard specification,
and which, in either case, is marked with the number (or such other information as is necessary to permit identification) of that standard or specification.
2. Where the registration mark is displayed on the front of the vehicle, it must have black characters on a white background.
3. Where the registration mark is displayed on the back of the vehicle, it must have black characters on a yellow background.
PART 3VEHICLES REGISTERED BEFORE 1ST JANUARY 1973 (OPTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS)ARequirements where the vehicle carries a registration plate which is constructed so that the mark may be illuminated from behind by virtue of the translucency of its characters.1. The registration mark must be formed of white translucent characters on a black background on the surface of that plate.
2. When the registration mark is illuminated during the hours of darkness, the characters on that plate must appear white against a black background.
BRequirements where the vehicle carries a registration plate which is not so constructed. Either of the following is permitted—
1. A plate made of reflex-reflecting material complying with the requirements of the British Standard Specification for reflex-reflecting number plates published on 31 October 1967 under the number BS AU 145(3) and which displays black characters on a white background where it is fixed on the front of the vehicle and black characters on a yellow background where it is fixed on the rear of the vehicle.
2. A plate displaying white, silver or light grey letters and numbers on a black surface having every character indelibly inscribed on the surface or so attached to the surface that it cannot readily be detached from it, which may either—
(a)be made of cast or pressed metal with raised characters, or
(b)consist of a plate to which separate characters are attached, or
©consist of a plastic plate having either reverse engraved characters or characters of a foil type, or
(d)consist of an unbroken rectangular area on the surface of the vehicle which is either flat or, if there is no flat area where the mark is required to be displayed, an area which is almost flat.

[John Wilson]

No phill, it’s a new car but wanted something a little different on it, I thought you could get legal ones for the UK

Seen plenty on the road, mostly on vw vans though

[Brian Hays]

Becky (a member here) spent a lot of money making compliant pressed plates. Not sure if he still comes on?

[Brian Hays]

Try here..

http://www.europl8.net/

[Gareth Hankinson]

Derek Heron does them at Bespoke Signs