Personalising your Speedster
The Porsche 356 Speedster was an icon of the 1950s, with movie star James Dean being perhaps one of the first well-known enthusiasts. He owned a white Porsche 356 Speedster, which he later replaced with a silver Spyder 550. Although the number of original Speedsters on the road is quite small (most are in museums) there are now hundreds of replicas just in the UK, and the appeal of the 356 Speedster still remains strong, with enthusiasts all over the world keeping this classic car alive.
The Effect of a Personalised Number Plate
For many, taking pride in one's car is important, and a private registration is an effective, simple way of adding that exclusive, personal touch. And it can be great fun! There are numerous plates on the market, so the ideal purchase should be out there for everyone.
The Perfect Plate
It is essential that buyers of personal registrations know the following rule: One may not display a registration that would make the car appear to be newer than it truly is. For classic car owners particularly, knowing this is especially important to avoid disappointment.
However, with the variety of dateless plates on the market, there are plenty of options for owners of classic cars. Below are some examples of registrations that would suit a Porsche 356 Speedster owner:
1 S - A prestigious plate such as this would be eye catching
and a sound investment
59 S - 59 could highlight the year of manufacture
7 SPE 244 SPE 690 SPE - There are
a number of 'SPE' plates available.
The following examples, as well as relating to the 356 Speedster, also contain characters, which could refer to one's initials, or even a name:
356 MAE KEN 356 WFJ 356 - Ideal for a 356 Speedster owner.
There are also many examples of "POR" registrations
available, such as those given below:
8 POR 6 POR 997 POR
POR 60 15 POR
Perhaps a number, or group of numbers could relate to a meaningful date for a personal touch?
Concern For Authenticity
A concern that some may have is that a replacement registration compromises a classic car's authenticity. However, such a change need not be permanent as it is perfectly possible to retain the car's original number on a retention certificate (V778/1). The process incurs a one-off payment of £80, plus an annual fee of £25 for each year one wishes to retain the number. Restoring the original registration to the car can be achieved very simply.
As for the physical display of registration numbers, there are concessions for vehicles manufactured prior to 1 January 1973. These cars may display traditional, black plates, with white, silver or grey characters. There is also the choice of either modern plastic plates or traditional metal ones.
Regulations
There are certain rules regarding lettering on number plates and details are as follows:
Vehicles constructed before 1 September 1973 must have lettering of a set size, and must conform to one of the two groups shown below:
| Characters | Group 1 | Group 2 |
| Height | 89mm | 79mm |
| Width (except number 1) | 64mm | 57mm |
| Stroke | 16mm | 14mm |
| Side margin | 25mm | 11mm |
| Top & bottom margin | 13mm | 11mm |
| Space between characters | 13mm | 11mm |
| Space between groups | 38mm | 33mm |
Although number plates fitted prior to 1 September 2001 are not subject to the following rule, if one chooses to replace a number plate with a personalised registration, the characters must be displayed, meeting the following dimensions:
Excepting the letter I and the number 1, characters must be 79mm high and 50mm wide. The width of each character stroke must be 14mm and one must be able to measure 11mm between each character in the same grouping. Additionally, character groups must also be 33mm apart.
All number plates fitted after 1 September 2001 must also display the mandatory font: 'Charles Wright 2001'. Those fitted prior to this need not be changed if the character font used is similar to the mandatory style.
A classic 356 Speedster can be made even more desirable when coupled with the ideal personalised number plate. A registration can last a lifetime and requires no maintenance whatsoever. Surely a winning combination!
This Article contributed by RegTransfers.co.uk
Go to their website for more details about Personalised Number Plates, a useful search facility and
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