So I must have OCDC, but for some ungodly reason I went through the "Jensen Interceptor, Gold Portfolio, 1966 - 1986" book and jotted down all the license numbers in the pictures...
I am now convinced the "EA" at the end of the letter portion of license number is something associated with handsome drivers (like Kenny, Grant and myself).
Anyway - the Jensen factory had a powerful marketing machine if they could register and loan out all these cars to magazine writers....
In order from the front:
YBP 5G
HEA 4D (FF)
HEA 1D
NEA 4F
MEA 444F (FF)
NEA 2F
SEA 300G
SEA 444G
SEA 900G (MK 1)
SEA 999G (FF)
UEA 5G
VEA 483G
XEA 303F (Mk 11)
XEA 304H (FF)
YEA 114H (FF)
GEA 77H
GEA 77K
XEA 4H (FF)
NEA 7L
PEA 445L
MG 215 (VIC) Canada
EA 7878 -- 1936 Model
750 CEA
MEA 244 (FF 1964 541)
SEA 460L
TEA 700L
DEA 377N
BEA 44M
ME 192 (Coupe)
EEA 72C (CV-8)
YEA 114H
It's crazy! Must be more than coincidence...
Rocky
General Discussion
EA / Factory cars.
73 posts
• Page 4 of 5 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Hi Rocky,
The Poms will be able to confirm this when it becomes daytime over there, but my understanding is that (in the old days at least) the letters signified the geographic location of issuing the plate - so I'm assuming it means West Bromwich?
Still, fantastically diligent research by you, and a credit to your and the other fellows' handsomeness.
Simon.
The Poms will be able to confirm this when it becomes daytime over there, but my understanding is that (in the old days at least) the letters signified the geographic location of issuing the plate - so I'm assuming it means West Bromwich?
Still, fantastically diligent research by you, and a credit to your and the other fellows' handsomeness.
Simon.
Simon
1974 Interceptor III
1973 Lotus Europa Special
1974 Interceptor III
1973 Lotus Europa Special
- sespie
- Posts: 281
- Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:06 am
- Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Gollee Gee Rocky! I have come over all flustered and flushed. Not certain about Grant though. I am still optomistic, do you want a ginger pussy. Am ready to send postage paid. Pres. Trump speaks highly of you and your Republican activities Kenny38 
- kenny38
- Posts: 596
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 8:24 am
- Location: Australia
Yes Simon, the letters indicated a geographical area.
Codes were allocated alphabetically from A through Z based on population size. A was allocated to London, B to Lancashire, C to Yorkshire West Riding and so on. The letter I was not used as it could be confused with the number 1. The letter Z was allocated to Dublin (in those days Ireland was ruled by the UK).
When they got to Z, they continued with AA, AB, AC, AD and so on until all the areas had an initial allocation. FP was the last code initially issued. EA was allocated to West Bromwich as part of this first round of allocations.
Registration plates were then allocated by the local authority using their allocated code plus 1 to 4 numbers. The first 9,999 vehicles registered in London would have been A1 through A9999. When that was used the area went to another 2 letter code but there was no system to the allocation of subsequent codes which went on a first come first served basis. GS for example was allocated to Perthshire, GT and GU were allocated to London, GV to Suffolk.
EA was allocated to West Bromwich and registrations in this series were issued between 1904 and 1938.
In the UK registrations are never recycled after a vehicle is scrapped. There was no system put in place to put a registration back in the system, once issued the number stayed with the car regardless of where the owner lived and once an owner moved out of the area where a registration was issued the local authority would lose track of it. So, by 1932 the available numbers for 1 and 2 letter codes were running out and so the system changed from 1 or 2 letters plus up to 4 numbers to 3 letters and 3 numbers. The local authority could add a letter in front of their allocated area code. Using again EA as an example, in December 1938 West Bromwich started issued AEA registrations with 1 to 3 numbers following, in November 1939 they started the BEA series, CEA came in June 1946 and so on.
By the mid to late 1950s some areas were again running out of numbers so a new system was introduced by reversing the sequence and having the numbers preceding the letters, still using the allocated area codes. On the first page of this thread is the Norcros 541S, registration 579 FEA. This is a reversed style issued by West Bromwich from July 1961. The regular letters/numbers style had been used from January 1950. Sometime in the first 3 months of 1950 registration FEA 579 was issued. Just over a decade later 579 FEA was issued.
In 1962 the system changed again, registrations reverted to the letters followed by 1 to 3 numbers format and a year suffix letter was added. A = 1963, B =1964 and so on. Not all areas used the suffix system until 1965 when it was made compulsory. Initially the year suffix ran from January to December but the car industry lobbied for a change so in 1967 the E suffix only ran from January until July, the new F suffix started on 1st August 1967.
Clear as mud? I hope so.
There is no facilty for making up your own registrations as exists in some other countries so the concept of "desirable" registrations has grown up over the years for example, RAD 10 (RADIO) for the BBC, IND 1A (Indian Embassy) and so on. There was always competition to get the number 1 of a series each year. Although strictly speaking it should not be done, Jensen arranged with the West Bromwich office sets of "nice" registrations hence HEA 1D, HEA 2D, HEA 4D, JEA 4D, NEA 2F, NEA 3F, NEA 4F and so on, the letter 4 in these registrations signifying the 4 wheel drive Jensen FF.
Codes were allocated alphabetically from A through Z based on population size. A was allocated to London, B to Lancashire, C to Yorkshire West Riding and so on. The letter I was not used as it could be confused with the number 1. The letter Z was allocated to Dublin (in those days Ireland was ruled by the UK).
When they got to Z, they continued with AA, AB, AC, AD and so on until all the areas had an initial allocation. FP was the last code initially issued. EA was allocated to West Bromwich as part of this first round of allocations.
Registration plates were then allocated by the local authority using their allocated code plus 1 to 4 numbers. The first 9,999 vehicles registered in London would have been A1 through A9999. When that was used the area went to another 2 letter code but there was no system to the allocation of subsequent codes which went on a first come first served basis. GS for example was allocated to Perthshire, GT and GU were allocated to London, GV to Suffolk.
EA was allocated to West Bromwich and registrations in this series were issued between 1904 and 1938.
In the UK registrations are never recycled after a vehicle is scrapped. There was no system put in place to put a registration back in the system, once issued the number stayed with the car regardless of where the owner lived and once an owner moved out of the area where a registration was issued the local authority would lose track of it. So, by 1932 the available numbers for 1 and 2 letter codes were running out and so the system changed from 1 or 2 letters plus up to 4 numbers to 3 letters and 3 numbers. The local authority could add a letter in front of their allocated area code. Using again EA as an example, in December 1938 West Bromwich started issued AEA registrations with 1 to 3 numbers following, in November 1939 they started the BEA series, CEA came in June 1946 and so on.
By the mid to late 1950s some areas were again running out of numbers so a new system was introduced by reversing the sequence and having the numbers preceding the letters, still using the allocated area codes. On the first page of this thread is the Norcros 541S, registration 579 FEA. This is a reversed style issued by West Bromwich from July 1961. The regular letters/numbers style had been used from January 1950. Sometime in the first 3 months of 1950 registration FEA 579 was issued. Just over a decade later 579 FEA was issued.
In 1962 the system changed again, registrations reverted to the letters followed by 1 to 3 numbers format and a year suffix letter was added. A = 1963, B =1964 and so on. Not all areas used the suffix system until 1965 when it was made compulsory. Initially the year suffix ran from January to December but the car industry lobbied for a change so in 1967 the E suffix only ran from January until July, the new F suffix started on 1st August 1967.
Clear as mud? I hope so.
There is no facilty for making up your own registrations as exists in some other countries so the concept of "desirable" registrations has grown up over the years for example, RAD 10 (RADIO) for the BBC, IND 1A (Indian Embassy) and so on. There was always competition to get the number 1 of a series each year. Although strictly speaking it should not be done, Jensen arranged with the West Bromwich office sets of "nice" registrations hence HEA 1D, HEA 2D, HEA 4D, JEA 4D, NEA 2F, NEA 3F, NEA 4F and so on, the letter 4 in these registrations signifying the 4 wheel drive Jensen FF.
Last edited by Chris_R on Tue Aug 07, 2018 11:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chris
JOC Member 6116
--------------------------------------------------
JOC Member 6116
--------------------------------------------------
-
Chris_R - JOC General Secretary
- Posts: 5617
- Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 9:19 am
- Location: South West London
The first ever EA registered Jensen 
- Front-end.jpg (172.78 KiB) Viewed 1226 times
EA 7000 was the first one
-
Joerg - JOC Early Cars Registrar
- Posts: 2479
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:38 pm
- Location: Germany
To respond to Rohan's point about C-V8 HEA 5D not being on my list, it seems I just missed it, the car survives with former JOC Chairman Alan Smith.
John
John
Early Interceptor INT885347
C-V8 Mk111 112/2334
C-V8 Mk111 112/2334
- John Staddon
- JOC C-V8 Registrar
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2005 1:48 pm
This thread is fascinating - absolute gold!
Simon
1974 Interceptor III
1973 Lotus Europa Special
1974 Interceptor III
1973 Lotus Europa Special
- sespie
- Posts: 281
- Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:06 am
- Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Hi Kenny -
I am raising them for sale, and have gotten several offers on the whole lot. Please send directly. Thanks, and I will give "The Donald" your regards - expect his phone call soon!
Rocky
I am raising them for sale, and have gotten several offers on the whole lot. Please send directly. Thanks, and I will give "The Donald" your regards - expect his phone call soon!
Rocky
Last edited by RockyUSA on Wed Aug 08, 2018 4:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
'72 Interceptor III - 133/5597
'73 DeTomaso Pantera
'74 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40
'95 Jaguar XJS Convertible
'73 DeTomaso Pantera
'74 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40
'95 Jaguar XJS Convertible
-
RockyUSA - Posts: 972
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2016 10:10 am
- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Roh
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:20 pm
- Location: NSW, Australia
RockyUSA wrote:Anyway - the Jensen factory had a powerful marketing machine if they could register and loan out all these cars to magazine writers....
In order from the front:
YBP 5G
Does anyone know if YBP 5G is still about? I have the original instruction manual that came with the car.
- Arcnewal
- Posts: 503
- Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:17 am
How about 701 KEA?
701 KEA is JM/EXP/107, the car survives in Devon with the daughter of the man who bought it in 1970 from the first owner. There are photos on the Forum.
John
Early Interceptor INT885347
C-V8 Mk111 112/2334
C-V8 Mk111 112/2334
- John Staddon
- JOC C-V8 Registrar
- Posts: 1863
- Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2005 1:48 pm
YBP 5G - Here it is on the cover...
- IMG_8635 (Large).JPG (182.59 KiB) Viewed 1143 times
'72 Interceptor III - 133/5597
'73 DeTomaso Pantera
'74 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40
'95 Jaguar XJS Convertible
'73 DeTomaso Pantera
'74 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40
'95 Jaguar XJS Convertible
-
RockyUSA - Posts: 972
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2016 10:10 am
- Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
DVLA shows it as Maroon now and "taxed" until 1 June 2019
Shaun Winfield
Chairman
S. Bucks & Oxfordshire Area Rep
Mk 3 Blue
2240/9847
JOC member no. 8822
Chairman
S. Bucks & Oxfordshire Area Rep
Mk 3 Blue
2240/9847
JOC member no. 8822
-
shaun - JOC Chairman
- Posts: 1237
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:58 pm
- Location: South Oxfordshire
Hello guys
Yes it is Grant definitely...
SRS2000 owns that car Lawrence
Perhaps he will be along soon
GaryC
Yes it is Grant definitely...
SRS2000 owns that car Lawrence
Perhaps he will be along soon
GaryC
-
garyc - Posts: 511
- Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:49 pm
- Location: Berkshire
73 posts
• Page 4 of 5 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5