Have logbook, can I move number plate?

malcolmfowler

I have the logbook for a car registered in 1932. Th car itself is sitting in a barn in France. My dad took it their many years ago and it's now too old to repair. It has never been SORN'd as this isn't an option on the current logbook. I'd like to transfer the number plate onto my car.  Is this possible?  I was worried I might be asked to pay road tax for all the years it has not been used. Any advice?

motorguy

I had a quick google to confirm what i thought was the case -

"The donor vehicle must be currently MOT’d and taxed, taxed with MOT expired or MOT expired and tax expired less than 6 months.

If you have declared SORN on the donor vehicle then the last tax disc must have expired (it cannot have been refunded) less than 6 months previously."

Grumpy_chap

malcolmfowler said:

I have the logbook for a car registered in 1932. Th car itself is sitting in a barn in France. My dad took it their many years ago and it's now too old to repair. It has never been SORN'd as this isn't an option on the current logbook. I'd like to transfer the number plate onto my car.  Is this possible?  I was worried I might be asked to pay road tax for all the years it has not been used. Any advice?

To add to what @motorguy said, the number plate may have sufficient value that makes it worth bringing the car back on a trailer and getting it MOT'd and taxed.  

Not to mention that a 1932 car probably has substantial value in itself.

Certainly does not sound like an option to simply disregard the vehicle on a whim.

malcolmfowler

Thanks, bringing the vehicle back is not an option. I did hear of a local UK farmer moving a number plate of an old tractor and wondered how he managed it. 

Grumpy_chap

There was a recent thread about someone who'd scrapped a vehicle but not informed DVLA and now wanted to recover the cherised plate:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6288515/scrapped-vehicle-tell-dvla/p1

The big difference here, is the OP for this current thread still has the vehicle (albeit in France).  Any vehicle that has been stored in a barn and dates from 1932 must have some significant value, almost irrespective of condition, that warrants recovery back to UK and restore or sell as a project.  I am unsure why the OP simply dismisses this.

AdrianC

malcolmfowler said:

I have the logbook for a car registered in 1932. Th car itself is sitting in a barn in France. My dad took it their many years ago and it's now too old to repair. It has never been SORN'd as this isn't an option on the current logbook.

"Too old to repair"? Not a bit of it! It's almost certainly eminently restorable, unless it really is a collection of floor-sweepings. Even then, it may still be if you have the chassis plate and a few major bits. What is it, and how bad is it?

When you say "not an option on the current logbook", does that mean you don't have a red V5C for it? What DO you have?
Does the registration show up on https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk ?

Grumpy_chap

AdrianC said:

It's almost certainly eminently restorable

Agreed absolutely!

OP - what is this car?  What is the condition?

sheramber

Was the DVLA notified that the car had been taken abroad?

If the registration would be of value the  DVLA may not allow the transfer.


A 1932 car would be a classic. there are many enthusiasts who spend money restoring classic cars. But they would want the registration number to go with the car.

motorguy

It could easily cost more to get the car home and restore it than the value of the restored vehicle and the plate combined.

Restorations on cars that age are almost always a labour of love undertaken by an enthusiast who will have the right contacts and put an awful lot of man hours in themselves and still likely end up costing them more than the end vehicle is worth.  And thats before you take in to account parts availability, possibly having to get parts made, and - most importantly - the O/P wanting to commit maybe 2+ years to a full restoration.

And then theres having the funding available to do so.

Even then you'd end up taking the 1932 plate off the car, then having to find a suitable period replacement for it as it would a bit naff with a current reg on it (and it would affect value).

Yes, doable, but i think thats way beyond what the O/P wants - i suspect he was hoping to be able to take the reg off just by having the log book. 

It may still be worth bringing the car home though and selling it as it sits to someone who wants to restore it to its former glory for all the right reasons.  Plenty of classic online auctions sites, or classic sites to sell it from.

AdrianC

motorguy said:

Even then you'd end up taking the 1932 plate off the car, then having to find a suitable period replacement for it as it would a bit naff with a current reg on it (and it would affect value).

It would get an "age-related" pre-suffix plate on it, probably four digits two letters.

force_ten

motorguy said:

I had a quick google to confirm what i thought was the case -

"The donor vehicle must be currently MOT’d and taxed, taxed with MOT expired or MOT expired and tax expired less than 6 months.

If you have declared SORN on the donor vehicle then the last tax disc must have expired (it cannot have been refunded) less than 6 months previously."

as the car in question is more than 40 years old it will no longer require an MOT and will also be exempt from vehicle tax 

you would need to apply for tax which will show a zero cost and you wouldn't need a current MOT to tax as car is exempt

l would be looking to see if l could get the car taxed and look at what options you have for recovering the plate to a retention certificate