NSW rego plates

[Ext User(patrick@unknown (Patrick Young)]

While in mind numbing bored mode in barely moving traffic
driving to work, got to wondering what was the most/least
common first letter of NSW rego plates (yup any and all
plates, including personal - and there are a lot of different
types/styles).

OK, no guesses that A is the most common as it is standard
issue on standard and premium plates ATM.

So working back from Z I'm not at all sure things will be
in the order issued.

Not all of Z was issued.
T would be fairly common as was standard issue, and taxi (T) and minibus (TV)
M would be fairly common on Municipal Omnibus bussen (MO)
N would be fairly common on Euro plates.
L would be fairly common on trailers.
F and C not so common (F not issued IIRC as part of the standard series,
but issued on Centenary plates (F + C) and fire trucks).
B seen quite a few on those small square plates, can't remember off
hand for what event they were issued ATM.

Plates starting with "I" was never standard, only for trucks IIRC?

60's and 70's D, E, G, H, J would be getting fairly rare. K (1980) is
getting kinda old, and N (1985) onwards starts to become more common.
Q (I can't remember the year of that one - it was kinda out of sequence)
was just plain weird.

Would be an interesting lunch time excercise for an RTA IT/programmer
dude to produce some stats????

Me, mine starts with H :-p

I'm kinda thinking plates starting with "I" would be least common?

--

--------------------------------------------
4x4 Hilux Auto Service Centre,
BP 106 Timbuktu,
Mali (West Africa)
Tel: 292 91 52
Specialising in turbo diesel and R290 aircon
--------------------------------------------

[Ext User(Tom Smyth)]

"Patrick Young <patrick@hilux.ace.unsw.EDU.AU>" <patrick@unknown> wrote in
message news:knTZVzz3NnrA@unknown...
> While in mind numbing bored mode in barely moving traffic
> driving to work, got to wondering what was the most/least

I recently had a Z, but I had previously thought they were reserved for the
feds (with the initial Z in red). I haven't seen a red Z plate for a while
though - have they changed?

[Ext User(patrick@unknown (Patrick Young)]

In article <4_rPf.4272$5J7.2440@news.cpqcorp.net>, "Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> writes:

> I recently had a Z, but I had previously thought they were reserved for the
> feds (with the initial Z in red). I haven't seen a red Z plate for a while
> though - have they changed?

Interesting you mention that. The reason I got to start thinking about it
this morning is there was a Falcon/Fairlane with ZZZ074 next to me, complete
with red first Z. Late model, plate/car looked new.

AFAIK, Z was issued up until ZL* or so as standard before we went to the
new AA00AA plates last year, so there are a fair few of them around. I think,
as I saw, the end of the Z series was reserved for red/not red Z NSW Consular
or somesuch.

--

--------------------------------------------
4x4 Hilux Auto Service Centre,
BP 106 Timbuktu,
Mali (West Africa)
Tel: 292 91 52
Specialising in turbo diesel and R290 aircon
--------------------------------------------

[Ext User(Neil Gerace)]

"Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote in message
news:4_rPf.4272$5J7.2440@news.cpqcorp.net...
>
> "Patrick Young <patrick@hilux.ace.unsw.EDU.AU>" <patrick@unknown> wrote in
> message news:knTZVzz3NnrA@unknown...
>> While in mind numbing bored mode in barely moving traffic
>> driving to work, got to wondering what was the most/least
>
> I recently had a Z, but I had previously thought they were reserved for
> the feds (with the initial Z in red). I haven't seen a red Z plate for a
> while though - have they changed?

Most Commonwealth govt depts have had their fleets outsourced, so they often
carry private plates now. Makes it harder to see where our money is being
wasted. A few organisations that still have Z cars (well, last time I saw
one it was fairly recent) are the ABC and the Navy.

There are two kinds of Fed red Z plates: the ones with CofA along the top,
and the ones without anything. I think the ones without are more recent. It
would fit in line with the phasing out by stealth of the word 'Commonwealth'
in official Commonwealth Govt usage over the last 30 years. (The word was
removed from paper money around then.)

Commonwealth Govt ministerial cars have C* with the C in red. Hardly ever
see these in WA, which is kind of symbolic.

[Ext User(Tom Smyth)]

"Neil Gerace" <geracen@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:440e48a4$0$14532$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

> Commonwealth Govt ministerial cars have C* with the C in red. Hardly ever
> see these in WA, which is kind of symbolic.

Go easy, I'm sure they'd choose to fly there rather than drive :-)

[Ext User(Neil Gerace)]

"Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote in message
news:3ctPf.4273$KG7.1669@news.cpqcorp.net...
>
> "Neil Gerace" <geracen@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
> news:440e48a4$0$14532$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>
>> Commonwealth Govt ministerial cars have C* with the C in red. Hardly ever
>> see these in WA, which is kind of symbolic.
>
> Go easy, I'm sure they'd choose to fly there rather than drive :-)

yeah :)

I did see C*1 here once. I presume that's the PM's car, because he was in
town that day. They probably flew over a set of plates and bunged them on
some other car though :-)

[Ext User(Tom Smyth)]

"Neil Gerace" <geracen@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:440e574c$0$14546$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>
> "Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote in message
> news:3ctPf.4273$KG7.1669@news.cpqcorp.net...
>>
>> "Neil Gerace" <geracen@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
>> news:440e48a4$0$14532$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>>
>>> Commonwealth Govt ministerial cars have C* with the C in red. Hardly
>>> ever see these in WA, which is kind of symbolic.
>>
>> Go easy, I'm sure they'd choose to fly there rather than drive :-)
>
> yeah :)
>
> I did see C*1 here once. I presume that's the PM's car, because he was in
> town that day. They probably flew over a set of plates and bunged them on
> some other car though :-)

The GG in SA gets about in a Statesman with a "number plate" with solely a
coat of arms (or whatever) stuck on it (i.e. no numbers or letters
whatsoever).

[Ext User(Neil Gerace)]

"Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote in message
news:sStPf.4276$oO7.3508@news.cpqcorp.net...
>
> "Neil Gerace" <geracen@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
> news:440e574c$0$14546$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>>
>> "Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote in message
>> news:3ctPf.4273$KG7.1669@news.cpqcorp.net...
>>>
>>> "Neil Gerace" <geracen@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
>>> news:440e48a4$0$14532$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>>>
>>>> Commonwealth Govt ministerial cars have C* with the C in red. Hardly
>>>> ever see these in WA, which is kind of symbolic.
>>>
>>> Go easy, I'm sure they'd choose to fly there rather than drive :-)
>>
>> yeah :)
>>
>> I did see C*1 here once. I presume that's the PM's car, because he was in
>> town that day. They probably flew over a set of plates and bunged them on
>> some other car though :-)
>
> The GG in SA gets about in a Statesman with a "number plate" with solely a
> coat of arms (or whatever) stuck on it (i.e. no numbers or letters
> whatsoever).

Same in WA.

[Ext User(Tom Smyth)]

"Neil Gerace" <geracen@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:440e60d6$0$14507$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>
> "Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote in message
> news:sStPf.4276$oO7.3508@news.cpqcorp.net...
>>
>> "Neil Gerace" <geracen@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
>> news:440e574c$0$14546$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>>>
>>> "Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote in message
>>> news:3ctPf.4273$KG7.1669@news.cpqcorp.net...
>>>>
>>>> "Neil Gerace" <geracen@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
>>>> news:440e48a4$0$14532$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>>>>
>>>>> Commonwealth Govt ministerial cars have C* with the C in red. Hardly
>>>>> ever see these in WA, which is kind of symbolic.
>>>>
>>>> Go easy, I'm sure they'd choose to fly there rather than drive :-)
>>>
>>> yeah :)
>>>
>>> I did see C*1 here once. I presume that's the PM's car, because he was
>>> in town that day. They probably flew over a set of plates and bunged
>>> them on some other car though :-)
>>
>> The GG in SA gets about in a Statesman with a "number plate" with solely
>> a coat of arms (or whatever) stuck on it (i.e. no numbers or letters
>> whatsoever).
>
> Same in WA.

I might make some of those number plates myself, tint my windows dark and
then cruise around flouting the law.

I'd need to buy a Statesman though - a concept I don't find completely
unappealing.

[Ext User(tipsy@beerlover.com)]

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 01:34:39 GMT, patrick@unknown (Patrick Young <patrick@hilux.ace.unsw.EDU.AU>)
wrote:

> Plates starting with "I" was never standard, only for trucks IIRC?

I had a motorcycle back in the 1970's with the rego number IV 229

[Ext User(tipsy@beerlover.com)]

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 05:22:32 GMT, "Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote:

> The GG in SA gets about in a Statesman with a "number plate" with solely a
> coat of arms (or whatever) stuck on it (i.e. no numbers or letters
> whatsoever).

NSW Governor has a crown on her number plate. The car is a Statesman.

[Ext User(Marco)]

Patrick Young <patrick@hilux.ace.unsw.EDU.AU> wrote:
> While in mind numbing bored mode in barely moving traffic
> driving to work, got to wondering what was the most/least
> common first letter of NSW rego plates (yup any and all
> plates, including personal - and there are a lot of different
> types/styles).
>
> OK, no guesses that A is the most common as it is standard
> issue on standard and premium plates ATM.

I'd guess Y would be the next most common, as it was the next most
recent (excluding Z because they stopped at less than half way). X
would probably by the next most common as it is the next most recent,
and so on.

> L would be fairly common on trailers.

When I was a kid, the trailer my Dad owned had one of those
white-on-black number plates - BN 6466 I think it was.

> F and C not so common (F not issued IIRC as part of the standard series,
> but issued on Centenary plates (F + C) and fire trucks).
> B seen quite a few on those small square plates, can't remember off
> hand for what event they were issued ATM.

Bicentennial. A lot of them seemed to start with BB- but you could
also have your regular set remade - my Dad did that with his plates
that started with K.

> Plates starting with "I" was never standard, only for trucks IIRC?

Yeah, don't think they were ever standard, and same for F. I've seen a
few non-fire trucks around with plates starting with F too, generally
older ones. I'm not sure that I've even seen a truck with "I" plates.

> 60's and 70's D, E, G, H, J would be getting fairly rare. K (1980) is
> getting kinda old, and N (1985) onwards starts to become more common.

M, N, O and P registered cars seem to be all but exctinct. Even
finding cars registered with R or S (1990-93) is getting harder. It
seems that after about ten years, the chance of any given car still
having its original number plates is pretty slim. Plenty of older cars
with newer plates around, but not that many are still wearing their
originals in my observation.

> Q (I can't remember the year of that one - it was kinda out of sequence)
> was just plain weird.

Started about 1992 or so and ran until about 1997, they seemed to have
just slotted them in among the other regular issue plates during that
time. Not sure why.

> Me, mine starts with H :-p

I've had two different NSW registered cars, one starting with U and the
other X. No surprises to find that my current ACT plate starts with
Y...

> I'm kinda thinking plates starting with "I" would be least common?

I'd say you'd be right.

Marco

[Ext User(Neil Gerace)]

"Marco" <rbgemini@iprimus.com.au> wrote in message
news:1141810628.184021.243110@j52g2000cwj.googlegr oups.com...
> I've had two different NSW registered cars, one starting with U and the
> other X. No surprises to find that my current ACT plate starts with
> Y...

Current ACT plates start with Y because that's what the ACT got allocated (I
think it was about 1960). QLD started at N, SA started at R, WA started at
U.

The ACT ran out of YAA-000 to YZZ-999 so they moved to (IIRC) YAA-00A /
YZZ-99Z which is roughly 2.6 times as many plates.

QLD went through N, O, P and Q before switching to 000-NAA etc.

I think SA are still on their series but it now starts with X or something.
Not too many SA-reg cars here.

During the time when WA's population was growing twice as fast as any other
state's, WA went through U, X, 6, 7, 8 and about half of the 9 series before
moving to 1AAA-000 format.

[Ext User(athol)]

Marco <rbgemini@iprimus.com.au> wrote:

> M, N, O and P registered cars seem to be all but exctinct.

The retro-reflective coating used on the black-on-yellow plates in NSW
from K through to about P was found to be faulty. It wasn't UV stable!

Hence, the yellow exposed parts of the plates would fade to a dark grey
that didn't contrast with the black letters.

If the plates had covers that covered the edges (including the surrounds
that a lot of dealers fit), those areas would still be okay.

There was a systematic replacement of plates that had this problem. The
options offered were to either replace the plates with the next random
issue or to have your original number remade. IIRC, the latter meant
having to take the original plates into a registry, get new issue plates
and then swap back to your original letter/number combo when the remade
plates were ready. Most people just changed to new plates.

> Even
> finding cars registered with R or S (1990-93) is getting harder. It
> seems that after about ten years, the chance of any given car still
> having its original number plates is pretty slim. Plenty of older cars
> with newer plates around, but not that many are still wearing their
> originals in my observation.

If the plates are deemed to be too faded at rego time, the pink slip
guys used to have to put a note on the slip to say that the faded plates
needed replacing.

Under the new e-slip system, the faded plates are a _fail_ and the owner
has to go to the RTA, get new plates, then go back for a 2nd inspection
to get the e-slip.

Pretty much all of the black-on-yellow ones that have normal levels of
sun exposure will need replacement after about 10 years.

I'm so glad that euro and premium plates don't have the fading yellow
background. :-)

> I've had two different NSW registered cars, one starting with U and the
> other X. No surprises to find that my current ACT plate starts with
> Y...

I was told that an ACT plate that starts with anything else costs an
absolute packet!

--
Athol
<http://cust.idl.com.au/athol> Linux Registered User # 254000
The state of infrastructure in New South Wales is a disgrace.
I'm a Libran Engineer. I don't argue, I discuss.

[Ext User(Tom Smyth)]

"athol" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message news:1141861653.243092@idlweb...
> Marco <rbgemini@iprimus.com.au> wrote:
>
>> M, N, O and P registered cars seem to be all but exctinct.
>
> The retro-reflective coating used on the black-on-yellow plates in NSW
> from K through to about P was found to be faulty. It wasn't UV stable!
>
> Hence, the yellow exposed parts of the plates would fade to a dark grey
> that didn't contrast with the black letters.
>
> If the plates had covers that covered the edges (including the surrounds
> that a lot of dealers fit), those areas would still be okay.
>
> There was a systematic replacement of plates that had this problem. The
> options offered were to either replace the plates with the next random
> issue or to have your original number remade. IIRC, the latter meant
> having to take the original plates into a registry, get new issue plates
> and then swap back to your original letter/number combo when the remade
> plates were ready. Most people just changed to new plates.
>
>> Even
>> finding cars registered with R or S (1990-93) is getting harder. It
>> seems that after about ten years, the chance of any given car still
>> having its original number plates is pretty slim. Plenty of older cars
>> with newer plates around, but not that many are still wearing their
>> originals in my observation.
>
> If the plates are deemed to be too faded at rego time, the pink slip
> guys used to have to put a note on the slip to say that the faded plates
> needed replacing.
>
> Under the new e-slip system, the faded plates are a _fail_ and the owner
> has to go to the RTA, get new plates, then go back for a 2nd inspection
> to get the e-slip.
>
> Pretty much all of the black-on-yellow ones that have normal levels of
> sun exposure will need replacement after about 10 years.
>
> I'm so glad that euro and premium plates don't have the fading yellow
> background. :-)

I dunno why NSW replacement plates cost so much. In SA you just pay the
actual cost, about $15 IIRC. I think in NSW it's $40-$100+ depending on
style. They surely can't cost that much to make.

[Ext User(Tom Smyth)]

"Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote in message
news:T_KPf.4355$wt.858@news.cpqcorp.net...
>
> "athol" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message news:1141861653.243092@idlweb...
>> Marco <rbgemini@iprimus.com.au> wrote:

>> I'm so glad that euro and premium plates don't have the fading yellow
>> background. :-)
>
> I dunno why NSW replacement plates cost so much. In SA you just pay the
> actual cost, about $15 IIRC. I think in NSW it's $40-$100+ depending on
> style. They surely can't cost that much to make.

Actually I think there was a short period when they would remake your plates
FREE to encourage people with dull or damaged plates to get new ones.

[Ext User(Neil Gerace)]

"Tom Smyth" <TomS_13@a11.aone.net.au> wrote in message
news:aELPf.4365$Cv.3686@news.cpqcorp.net...

> Actually I think there was a short period when they would remake your
> plates FREE to encourage people with dull or damaged plates to get new
> ones.

Which are more photogenic :-)

[Ext User(patrick@unknown (Patrick Young)]

In article <1141810628.184021.243110@j52g2000cwj.googlegroups. com>, "Marco" <rbgemini@iprimus.com.au> writes:

> I'd guess Y would be the next most common, as it was the next most
> recent (excluding Z because they stopped at less than half way). X
> would probably by the next most common as it is the next most recent,
> and so on.

You would think that, and mostly true. I'm becoming very aware
A outnumbers everything. Just looking at a row of eight cars, 7 had A

The premium and new standard scheme is gunna last quite a while, it seems.

Just checked, and later Z is not strictly reserved, ZZZ is available in
ZZZ059, ZZZ108 and ZZZ112.

Now that I think about it H is not that unique as HC Hire Car plates.

I've seen the car with AAA000 which is a white merc wagon.

> When I was a kid, the trailer my Dad owned had one of those
> white-on-black number plates - BN 6466 I think it was.

There is one of these sitting about at the farm (I think that
photo was taken by Athol, has a far better cam than me):

http://www.fce.unsw.EDU.AU/people/py_stuff/trailer.jpg

> Bicentennial. A lot of them seemed to start with BB- but you could
> also have your regular set remade - my Dad did that with his plates
> that started with K.

Yup, there is a L/C 70 series in the carpark at work here ATM with
a K one. Very true A lot seemed to be BB{something "D" common}.

>> Plates starting with "I" was never standard, only for trucks IIRC?
>
> Yeah, don't think they were ever standard, and same for F. I've seen a
> few non-fire trucks around with plates starting with F too, generally
> older ones. I'm not sure that I've even seen a truck with "I" plates.

Trucks with "I" plates would date back to prehistoric times, IIRC did
see as a small kid. I think fire brigade related vehicles, not only
the trucks, have FBY type plates.

> M, N, O and P registered cars seem to be all but exctinct. Even

P is a bit weird along with Q which I think came after R. PY*, PZ*
plates made a short re-appearance. There are quite a few O and P cars
with their orignal plates around. Original "M" from around 1983 would
be getting a bit hard to find.

> finding cars registered with R or S (1990-93) is getting harder. It
> seems that after about ten years, the chance of any given car still
> having its original number plates is pretty slim. Plenty of older cars
> with newer plates around, but not that many are still wearing their
> originals in my observation.

My original plates were "RNY" which matches the vehicles 1st rego date.
I then decided on the "OMS" plates from my 1987 'lux, then premium of
"ABB" (standard issue), then now premium of "HIL", so yup, a vehicle
can go through a lot of plates in it's life.

>> I'm kinda thinking plates starting with "I" would be least common?
>
> I'd say you'd be right.

Also, G is actually quite common. Must be a lot of Garrys out there.
You do notice the odd Ian from time to time, however certainly not common.
Noticed an original J yesterday too.

--

--------------------------------------------
4x4 Hilux Auto Service Centre,
BP 106 Timbuktu,
Mali (West Africa)
Tel: 292 91 52
Specialising in turbo diesel and R290 aircon
--------------------------------------------

[Ext User(Marco)]

"I was told that an ACT plate that starts with anything else costs an
absolute packet!"

Yep, they do. When I moved to the ACT I enquired about the cost of
keeping my NSW rego number, starting with X, and having it remade as an
ACT plate. Yes, they could do it - for about $1,800. No thanks.

As the number 17 seems to pop up in my life a lot, and the Astra's
original plates had 17 in them (by coincidence), I just asked the
counter person at the registry to pull me out a set of ACT plates with
17 in them. She did, but I don't think she was very impressed with the
inconvenience...

Marco

[Ext User(Neil Gerace)]

"Marco" <rbgemini@iprimus.com.au> wrote in message
news:1141945771.745041.280540@z34g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> "I was told that an ACT plate that starts with anything else costs an
> absolute packet!"
>
> Yep, they do. When I moved to the ACT I enquired about the cost of
> keeping my NSW rego number, starting with X, and having it remade as an
> ACT plate. Yes, they could do it - for about $1,800. No thanks.
>
> As the number 17 seems to pop up in my life a lot, and the Astra's
> original plates had 17 in them (by coincidence), I just asked the
> counter person at the registry to pull me out a set of ACT plates with
> 17 in them. She did, but I don't think she was very impressed with the
> inconvenience...

The last time I got ordinary plates for a car, the counter person at the
Dept of Transport (since renamed to protect the job of the minister, who
lost her licence for DD) fished out some random plates from a
consecutively-numbered stack, which ended in -39. I asked her if there were
any -42 plates in that stack and she swapped them without complaint.