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The man from the MCR is due to authenticate one of my cars which has the chassis and engine number but not a sniff of its original registration. I have been warned that the car will be allocated a new age related number plate and retain its historic status ie manufactured 1965 BUT it will be declared first registered 2013. As it is a Cooper S how will that likely affect its value/resale in the future? Do people have a dim view of this type of car? Comments appreciated. Cheers.

Have you got a Heritage Certificate for the chassis number? If so, assuming the chassis number ties up with being of a certain year, I would expect a registration number to be issued to reflect that year of manufacture - the same as would happen with an imported car of that age.

Occasionally it has been possible to trace the original registration from county or dealer records against the chassis number where the Heritage Certificate shows the dealer/distributor's name. Probably you've already tried such things?

Thanks for the reply. I haven't tried to chase the dealer or county records as I don't have a heritage certificate. This is a good point and I will pursue it.
However I am still interested to hear what views there are on my car being first registered 2013 albeit with a year related plate and how this will likely affect resale values. Cheers

My Heritage cert (25 odd years ago?) had a space for "original registration number". Mine was marked "NA" as the car seems to have been built for export (it left UK 8 days after the build date).

Cheers, Ian

1071 S wrote:My Heritage cert (25 odd years ago?) had a space for "original registration number".
Cheers, Ian

Heritage never kept registration records, all they used to do was print the one quoted by the customer hence sometimes a certificate could be misleading.

To answer the original question, yes it can devalue a car to have lost it's history and original registration for the same reasons it's a piece of cake to stick a chassis and engine plate on any car. It's all very subjective dependant on the individual car . Some cars I've seen (even yesterday!) have zero original paperwork but an amazing traceable history based upon the body number still in place , safe to say it certainly pays to do as much research as you can !

Although the registration document V5c will show 'first registered 2013' it should have in the special notes section of the document 'declared manufactured 1965'. This is not unusual for many cars off the road and not registered with DVLA at the time of computerisation. It will still be 'Historic class'.

Garry.

Whats the best way to trace a cars history from the reg number and the original dealer ?? , I would like to trace one of my cars

Thanks Ian

Whats the best way to trace a cars history from the reg number and the original dealer ?? , I would like to trace one of my cars

The best way is to approach the DVLA and ask about the "Information from records" service. This will supply you with copies of all the old log books.

It used to be really easy & cost a fiver, I have just spent some time on the DVLA web site & can't find the appropriate page.

M

Cheers Rich.

M

Thanks very much ,

I know the supplying dealer for my car but thats where its stops i cant find any more info ( most have closed by now!!)

Not much more i can do now is there ??

Ian