Private car number plate question

[savanahnana]

Posting in chat for hopefully better chance of response!

My OH has a big birthday coming up and has always wanted a private plate on his much loved car. I've just been searching and there's a plate coming up in auction that he would love, but I'm unsure whether he could use it on his current year car.

I understand you can't make a car appear a newer year by the plate, but would I still be doing that if the number was in the last 3 digits as the year is normally at the begining?

So for example his is currently xx14 xxx, the one I like is xxxx 17x would that still be classed as making it appear newer with a number in that place?

Sorry if none of this makes sense, I'm tired and waffling 😂

No I think that would be ok. If it’s something like ABC117 then the C is the age identifier. They stopped using those ones absolutely ages ago so it would be making the car look a LOT older than it is

ABC117C sorry - also tired!

That would be ok. Always buy direct from the DVLA it works out cheaper

www.nationalnumbers.co.uk/dvla-guide/year-of-issue-149.htm

Yes, that would be allowed, because the one you like is a pre-1982 plate with the letter at the end to identify the year
From 1983-2000, they had the year identifier as the letter at the front, and then 2001 onwards, the number

Oh great thank you!

I did think it seemed liked that but didn't want to just chance buying it at that cost and it being unusable until he upgraded his car!