A History of Motor Vehicle Registration in the United Kingdom Paperback – 21 Jan. 2008

On the rear of the cover it is claimed to the effect that 'enthusiasts rate this as the definitive work on the subject', but without elaborating on what approximate percentage of enthusiasts so-rate the book. Such unsubstantiated claims tend to ring alarm bells with me but whilst I cannot deny the book is at least extremely comprehensive in respect of its content, it is let down in other ways. Despite having a contents list and an index, it is very irksome to search through for a specific piece of information and in that respect could have been laid out rather better. The aforementioned grumble is not helped by the small text (magnifying glass not supplied). There are, in addition, a number of vague, or at first glance seemingly incorrect, statements which are clarified elsewhere in the book and again this is down to the book's layout, or poor editing - call it what you will. Of course and in trying to be fair, whether anything is rated high, low or definitive is often a matter of personal opinion, so others may disagree with my appraisal. The title of the book includes the words 'A History' and this is indeed what it is, so the book is unsuitable (unless you are patient enough to spend hours trawling through it) for referencing details of specific registration numbers; for this purpose you would need something like "Where's it from? Where was it issued?" - if you can get hold of a later copy.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of vehicle registration in the U.K. It discusses differences in systems over the years, differences between military and civilian registrations, and enables one to look up a registration number and determine when and where it was first issued. This book, together with Glass's Index to Registration Numbers, has helped me determine when cars of the 1930s and 1940s (which I study) were first registered. Together with production and sales data, the registration data helps build a clear picture of the vehicles in use at any given time.

Does what it says on the tin - invaluable reference for dating vehicles or photographs in which vehicles appear, as it allows any registration to be dated to within a few months. My one criticism is that the 2008 update is a little cursory, especially in relation to Northern Ireland where (except for one footnote, in a different section altogether) developments since the turn of the century have not been mentioned.

Liked research that must have been done to complete this book

Brilliant publication for those interested in the history of registration numbers. Full of fully detailed information.

For those of you interested in number plates, this is an absolute must have. It is the most accurate uk number plate book on thecurrent market and I have even shown a few owners that their cars are re-registered when they thought they had the original number. Dateless plates can be 'dated' often to within a month of issue. Can't put it down

A most useful and complex book. Not always easy to find the answer you want but it is a vast subject and must have taken the author many years of painstaking research. This is the "Bible" that most number plate enthusiasts use every day!

I got this for my father as he's always been mad on old cars and their registration numbers. He's says it's fascinating - so I have to give it 5 stars.