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Identifying Old License Plate?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:32 pm
by LeeHedges
Hi guys/gals!
I'm trying to learn more about the
old SA license plates that were fitted to my T34 before it was shipped to England. I believe this photo was taken in the Port Elizabeth area in April 1999. The license plate is a yellow plate with black lettering and is #NHX 220 T. Is there anything to be learned from this plate? Location, year, etc?

Re: Identifying Old License Plate?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:55 pm
by IMPI
Hi Lee
when south africa went over to the yellow and black plates it wasnt based on anything except a system for numbering cars
Only the Transvaal Province used this plates and a rough (very rough) estimation of date of registration can be made based on the first digit
As all cars were required to go over to the new system it meant that cars and first digit did not match at all
In 1982 I rebuilt my first vehicle an old 50cc motorbike and the registration was HWS 685T
IN 1988 I bought my first new car in September and it was registered as MWY 234 T
My 87 Passat wore an LNM 999 T
So my guess is that your number was registered in the transvaal around 1990
Prior to this system cars were registered to the province and town
with T the suffix for transvaal
O the suffix for Freestate
N for Natal
C for the cape province
My home town of orkney was thus TOY and the OY signified Orkney Still the cooles of the lot
Search wikipedia for a list of all the towns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_re ... uth_Africa
Armand
Re: Identifying Old License Plate?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:37 pm
by eben
IMPI wrote:Hi Lee
when south africa went over to the yellow and black plates it wasnt based on anything except a system for numbering cars
Only the Transvaal Province used this plates and a rough (very rough) estimation of date of registration can be made based on the first digit
As all cars were required to go over to the new system it meant that cars and first digit did not match at all
In 1982 I rebuilt my first vehicle an old 50cc motorbike and the registration was HWS 685T
IN 1988 I bought my first new car in September and it was registered as MWY 234 T
My 87 Passat wore an LNM 999 T
So my guess is that your number was registered in the transvaal around 1990
Prior to this system cars were registered to the province and town
with T the suffix for transvaal
O the suffix for Freestate
N for Natal
C for the cape province
My home town of orkney was thus TOY and the OY signified Orkney Still the cooles of the lot
Search wikipedia for a list of all the towns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_re ... uth_Africa
Armand
Almost right Armand,
Transvaal was the only province to have the suffix, the T, at then end.
All the other provinces had a province(O, N or C)/town prefix.
As kids in the car on holiday we tried to find a numberplate we couldn't match to a town. Cars from Transvaal were no fun

Re: Identifying Old License Plate?
Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:16 pm
by louisvr45
do you still have the old tp nrs? Black and white?
Re: Identifying Old License Plate?
Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:18 pm
by LeeHedges
The T34 was sent to England in 1999 and registered with UK plates (which I have). But the SA plates were not in the T34 when it arrived in California. Sad!