I recently did the £5 DVLA record search on my car (308 GT4) which I've owned since 1985. Although the current V5 document says 7 previous keepers the historic documents only appear to show 5 so I'm wondering if the Original Dealer: Maranello Concessionaires, and the Selling Dealer: Huddersfield Garages Ltd are routinely counted as 1 and 2, and if this was common practice for Ferraris of this age (first registered 1977)? The sale date appears to be prior to the date of first tax and registration, so that doesn't seem to imply that it was new stock sitting around in dealer's yards or a demonstrator. Also 3 keepers appear to be essentially the same owner transferring the car to someone else, changing the registration mark (to a personalised plate) and then transferring it back again. This occurred in 1980 and I wonder if anyone knows if this was how you had to do it in those days? I'd be grateful for any info before I pester the DVLA for answers.
Yes you used to have to muck about quite a lot to change a registration and I think you needed to own both cars to effect the change and it would increment the registered keeper count when you did it. I don't think Maranello Concessionaires (as the importer) would count as a registered keeper unless they actually registered the car to themselves and I don't think that would be usual. The same applies to Huddersfield although that would be a bit more likely if it was for stock or as a demonstrator. I don't know if your car was Huddersfield's demonstrator originally as I don't have a note of the first owner (or, indeed, anything much on it at all). Does the registration change account for the total of 7 (i.e. 5 actual different owners plus a reg change)? If so, then that is the reason. If that still leaves you short then I don't know! Jonathan
No! There are actually only 3 plus me, and a reg change which appears to add 2 more. Original Reg was UVH 41R and chassis is 12842. First owner is Fylde Motor Factors Ltd according to the DVLA.
Hmm. So still two short. Don't know then, I'm afraid. Sorry, that was the limit of my knowledge! Jonathan
Patrick, Not sure it will explain anything for you but I've also just received a record search from the DVLA for my car. I knew beforehand from Tony Willis that it was originally ordered by Lancaster garages as a Demonstrator and sure enough the first V5 is in their name. My car also had a couple of Private plate changes in its lifetime but this did not increase the owner count. I would ring the DVLA, they seemed willing to help when I called. Cheers Jon PS. Good on you that you have owned the car for so long.
Jonathan, Do you hold records for the UK cars? If so do you have any information on my GT4 Chassis 9114? Cheers Jon
Thanks guys. I think the private plate/owner count thing depends on when it happened. The rules are a bit different now to what they used to be and what Jonathan says confirms my hypothesis as to why the car would have been transferred to someone else, got the reg changed and then transferred back within a few months in 1980. The registration mark got changed again to something of the right age when I bought it (the seller kept his private plate), but the number of owners didn't increase then so I guess that was under 'new' DVLA transfer rules. I might ask them if I can have the original reg back. I wrote to Huddersfield Garages many years ago (it still has their sticker on the rear screen) but they said they had no records from the time.
Its good fun Sleuthing though. Let me know how you get on with the request for the original plate, I'm restoring my car back to its original colour and trim and it would be nice to also return it to it's first number.
I had an original registration plate allocated back to a car about 4 years ago (car was over 25 years old). Through its life it had a few private plates then back onto an age related one after that. Quite a simple process, the only stipulation was that the original plate cannot now be transferred to another car which was fine.
I can confirm what Jonathon wrote regarding owning both cars when transferring plates. I bought my first personalised plate in mid/late seventies and both cars had to be registered to me. After the transfer the "donor" car was registered back to the original owner.
Thanks Mark. I have written to the DVLA (they were useless on the phone) and asked them to correct their records or supply details of the missing keepers. I suspect they will want to do neither, but we will see.
I really like the idea that a classic car,some 40 years or so later,ends up with the original Reg.No. and I understand that DVLA will be amenable to that,although They told a friend that they would put it (the Reg) into their next sale,so he could bid for it.I believe that the original Reg adds value. Previous owners...Not so much. Working in the motortrade,we often registered cars in our own name when brand new/zero miles. Just two reasons why....well ,if you are lucky,you can then sell it at a price above the MRP,as it is second hand,or (2) you can get a bigger discount because you put it on the road as a demo. We did this a lot,sold the car the day after to a retail buyer,gave him a few bob off,and we were all happy !
The DVLA after just 4 months, a couple of chases, and a complaint to the Chief Executive have finally come back and said the car can have its original number back. They still haven't quite figured out the wrong number of previous keepers thing, but I'm sure after a few more months and a couple more complaints they will come around to my ptv.
