Cyprus-Forum.com

[Jez]

Guys,

a little help if you would. My wife and I have just aquired a second hand VW polo, but I'm unsure of its age. In the UK the registration / number plate system, although recently overhauled, is pretty straight forward to understand but I'm having a little trouble getting a definative answer regarding the Cypriot system.

1. What is the rule / system with the letters and numbers on cypriot number plates?

2. Can the information provided by the number plate be relied upon to give information like age and original registration location?

Any info would be great. Thanks in advance,

Jez

[Sotos]

1. What is the rule / system with the letters and numbers on cypriot number plates?

It goes like this A1 .. A999 ... B1 ... B999 .... AA1 ... AA999 ... AB1 ... AB999.... BB1 ... BB999 ... AAA1 ... AAA999 ... AAB1 .... and so on. Some letters are reserved and can not be the first letter (like Z and T). After some time I think they started using letters that are common to both Latin and Greek Alphabet, so from EZZ999 we went to HAA1 and there was no F or G.

2. Can the information provided by the number plate be relied upon to give information like age and original registration location?

You can tell the age if the car was bought new in Cyprus. If it was imported used then you will not know how old it was when it was registered in Cyprus just from the number plate.

[souroul]

if the motor vehicle division runs the plates they can tell you everything about the car. what they can't tell you, the VIN can.
plates go with the car by the way. you can't get new ones or change the existing ones.

[Mikros]

Well, it depends, you may be able to figure out from some things.... like model and approx. plates for that age, if the speedometer has a max 180, japanese language stickers aroud the car, etc. AAA001 was available from November 1990, and all 3 letter ones staring with A denoted year 1991. then those with B denoted 1992, then C 1993, and D 1994. After that they canceled this year-marking system... expect E begining reg plate to be for a 1995- 1996 car, F, G, I and J not used, K one has been around since about 2004 as a rough guide. So using common sense, if you got a VW Polo 90's model and the reg plate starts with K, then you know the answer!

[Jez]

thanks guys, thats sorted me out a treat. EB**** makes it a 96 car I guess. So, that explains the crud around the edges!

Thanks alot, again

Jez

[GG]

Technically you are all wrong, the registration will only tell you when the car was first regsitered and not its age.

A cars age begins from date of manufacture and that can only be found using the VIN. Some cars sit around in storage or forecourts for 8 months before being registered and the buyer thinks they are getting a new car. Whereas a 8 month old car that has already been registered but stored in a garage at home will have depreciated massively.

An extereme example is a BMW which i have seen that was manufactured in 1994 and has 2004 plates.

[Mikros]

Indeed, I fully agree with GG...