Did cars used to have registration marks carved on their windows?

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Mind was doing a little meander into my youth today.

But I've asked a couple of old friends and they don't recall.

And now I'm doubting my brain

Oh I'm certain I remember this! A foggy memory being sat in the back of the family car...

I think so, yes!! In a little dotty font. I remember reading it backwards while stuck on long long drives with my dad.

BTW, your thread is a bit broken. I tried to click on it from Active and it wouldn't work. I had to come into Chat and it worked then.

I’m sure they did. In case someone stole it and changed the number plate, possibly?

Yes, made from dots!

It wasn't automatic, I think, you had to pay for it as a security feature. My in-laws had it in one of theirs.

Yes! You could get it etched on in the asda carpark!

Yes. I think they now have the VIN on the front windscreen? I remember my dad's car hanging the registration number on the windows even the rear windows.

@loveacupoftea18

Oh I'm certain I remember this! A foggy memory being sat in the back of the family car...

Ahh yes the good old days being a child stuck in the bavk of the car with nowt to do bar look out the window.

Yup we had it on our car windows. A security thing I think?

@BertieBotts

I think so, yes!! In a little dotty font. I remember reading it backwards while stuck on long long drives with my dad.

BTW, your thread is a bit broken. I tried to click on it from Active and it wouldn't work. I had to come into Chat and it worked then.

Cheers for the herculean efforts to come and chat

Sitting in the bavk seat, no belt, counting lamp posts, playing Eye fecking spy.

Don McLean in the tape deck

Yes, I remember this.

Yes they did.
I’m in my late 40s and I remember my very car proud granddad having it done in the mid 80s. It became a very common thing to do. It was meant to be a security thing, to stop thieves changing the number plate.

Yes, you could get it etched on, I remember my parents having it done.

Slightly pointless for their old banger but as I recall, they were really happy to get it done!

@MrsWombat

I’m sure they did. In case someone stole it and changed the number plate, possibly?

Could do with that these days. Might stop all the aubergines loving by me arising around with their reg plates

ETCHED not carved tyvm!

You paid to have it etched on for security.

Oh yes it was a super high-end security device to defeat anyone who wanted to steal our Mini clubman . And yes to Don McLean on the tape machine and to having a steering wheel lock for extra extra security

Yes they did!

Yes. You could always tell which cars had a window replaced as the new one didn't have the etched number plate. I'm going back to the 1970's. I don't know about later cars.

Yes, my parents had it done on their cars sometime in the 80's.

yes, the steering wheek lock too

Yes, and it used to be a selling feature on second hand cars, was always mentioned on adverts!

Yes my Renault 5 - Sharky - had its registration engraved on all its windows. Back in the day. Just in case they wandered off and got lost on the moors.

Some high end cars still do and there are kits where you can etch them on yourself.

Yes it was a very common security measure in the 90s. The police used to set up in a supermarket car park and do it free.