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Petrol Head's views - February 2005

It's back to normal for most of us I suppose. Christmas is a distant memory with just the bank balance to remind us of the fact that every year it gets more costly.

This year I actually received a gift that was something I have always wanted. Anyone of you who drives an open top car will know the joys of a stiff and aching neck as a result of being buffeted by the wind. Rather than fit a hard top or simply use the hood, we all want to prove the point that a convertible is an enthusiasts car and that we are true enthusiasts. Anyway, I am now the proud owner of a leather, sheep skin lined flying helmet and it's wonderful. Once you get passed the ridicule of being nicknamed Biggles, it's something you wouldn't want to leave at home when the temperature outside is anything below a heat wave.

A topic that reared it's head this week was the question of personal number plates. One of the guys in the pub was given one by his wife and kids as a Christmas present. This plate reads H1 2 ***, the last three digits being his initials. They paid almost a thousand quid for this plate from a registration number dealers. Anyway, another of the drinkers claimed that he had paid thousands for his initials but without a year letter.

Having a few older cars, I have a few older plates that are collectively worth a tidy sum. When asked if I would sell any one of them, I said that I would gladly take the money from some egotistical fool with more money than sense who was happy to see his initials on the front of his motor. Surely that's the long and the short of it? If someone will pay good money for an item of pure snob value, then it's his choice. I sold an old Austin with a number one registration to some yuppie who wanted it for his Ferrari. His vanity bought me a conservatory and three weeks in the sun with free drinks by the pool.

The discussion inevitably got around to people such as myself who are prepared to strip a car of it's identity. For God's sake, it's a car! It's a damned machine when all is said and done and if it doesn't have the number plates it had when it was new, then is that really a problem?

I can certainly see the point that some cars should retain their numbers if they are maybe of historical importance, or maybe had a well known, famous or celebrity owner that makes them stand out from the rest, but in truth how many old motors can lay claim to once being own by Graham Hill, Lord Lucan or Ozzy Osborne etc? How many old cars can lay valid claim to being the actual model that was displayed at a motor show when launched or was the car road tested by all the magazines? Not many is the answer, so then why on earth does it matter if they are given a different number plate.

No, in my view, if it has a decent plate and some mug wants to pay you a large wedge of folding stuff for the number it bears, then sell it. After all, that money could be spent on restoration of could even buy you the classic car you have dreamt of.

Ask yourself this one...what's more important, the car or the registration it wears? How many highly polished works of art trailered to and from concours shows have plates like SU, SJ etc? These aren't the original numbers as they are often date related plates dished out by Swansea when the original plates have been lost or more often than not sold on. The date related plates were probably allocated to some Licencing Office in the back of beyond when the town halls took care of these things years ago, and they were never issued.

Not much else in the news of late. Just the petrol price war going on at the pumps where they are all trying to undercut each other. I thought that the profit on a gallon of petrol was a few pence. If that's the case, then how can they cut the price to beat the opposition? I can't for one minute see that our friend the Chancellor has reduced duty, so it means we are fed a load of rubbish when prices are at higher levels.

Never mind folks, spring is just around the corner so it's time to don the thermals and get out there in a cold and drafty garage to get the servicing work done.

Petrol Head

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The views represented here are those of 'Petrol Head' and do not necessarily reflect those of Classic Car Times.