Preserving an historic registration number?

[pasini s]

Dear friends,

now that my 409 is running a bit better, I must register it in Italy to avoid any hassle with insurance and other bureaucratic matters. I feel very sad to change its beautiful chrome-over-black metal number plates to install new garish Euro-spec plates, but I have no choice.

I would hate to see its original registration number parted from it forever, though; and I have been told that, paying a sort of annual fee, I could keep the 'property' (so to speak) of PPC258E so it would not be reallocated to another classic car. DVLA is not very clear about it, it seems that I have to re-register the car but it would need to be inspected by the DVLA local agency (and the car, obviously, is in Italy now.)

Does anybody know any better about the possibility to keep my 409's original reg number PPC258E 'tied' to the car so they could be reunited if I sell the car back in the UK? Probably you might know some professional who would do this for me in UK; we have several private 'agencies' of this kind in Italy, but obviously they know nothing about DVLA.

Thank you

Stefano

[Hydroglen]

Well you know the problems with registering a car in Italy. Good luck!
What if you applied for a UK driver's license and ran it as a UK car?
None of my cars and motorcycles in Italy, are registered in Italy. Don't
have the patience.
Off to warmer parts for a few days....too cold to swim!LOL
Dorien

[pasini s]

Originally Posted by Hydroglen

Well you know the problems with registering a car in Italy. Good luck!
What if you applied for a UK driver's license and ran it as a UK car?
None of my cars and motorcycles in Italy, are registered in Italy. Don't
have the patience.
Off to warmer parts for a few days....too cold to swim!LOL
Dorien

Hello Dorien,

I'm running the car with UK registration number and a proper insurance, but I don't think that I can apply for a UK driver's license being an Italian resident...and then every year I would have the problem of the MoT. It would be too complicated, so I have no real choice.

Mind you, the papers are ready and now (fingers crossed) it might be quite straightforward to register the car in Italy. I'm only feeling sad about its original registration number PPC258E; the car manufactured after mine is PPC259E, so it's a sort of a small family.

Thanks anyway and have a nice swin in warmer parts of the globe,

Stefano

[guidob]

Ciao Stefano,

I am a new italian Bristol owner as well. I just bought a 400, perhaps
the only one sold in Italy.
When you have registered your car in Italy, I can help if you need, you
just keep the original registration with you,
but only if you didn't apply for a declaration of Permanent Export with
DVLA . Otherwise they will take it back.
We could organise the smallest national Bristol meeting !!!
Let's keep in touch!

Guidobruno

[Geoff Dowdle]

Guidobruno ,

Hello and congratulations on your purchase.

I'm interested in finding out more about your 400 and its early history , chassis and engine number , whether LHD or RHD .
I maintain a 400 Register that is on Ashley Jame's website . The register is a combination of BOC of Aust & UK plus my own input . Ashley's site has a lot of other information for all 6 cylinder Bristol owners but type 400s in particular .
Regards
Geoff Dowdle