Sean Geddes dropped in at the weekend and asked what he should do about number plates for his ’48 Beetle. He can’t just buy anything off the shelf because of the shape or the rear one so he’s a bit stuck.

Anyone got any ideas? What style would look best?, what would be correct for the period?, what way would you go if faced with the same problem? Any ideas or pictures would be really helpful.

The car is UK registered and has a regular 3 letter, 3 digit number.

---

I think to be correct Jules they should be painted on.The Grundmanns do this with their early cars,Christian says thats the way it should be.
I am going to do this over the winter with my '47 and i think Paul B has done it with his '46.
Have a white background painted following the contours of the deck lid then use black numbers(don't worry about Plod,he's too busy).Any signwriter worth his salt will be able to do this.
My decklid has never been drilled so i am lucky in that respect.

Looks better when the numbers are added  5943.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

I'm not certain that any plate would be 'correct'. Kdf's do look like they were painted, but I've yet to see a REME car with a rear number plate (presumably these cars were only registered with the Army?).

This photo was taken in 1947 for the Vauxhall report and its the clearest rear shot I could find from this period.  5951.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

---

Check this video from 1949 from Sweden.

Volkswagens tested in Sweden 1949 

I know they are from 1949...

---

I reckon British plates look quirky but cool on a pre-June 49 car....
(sorry for the massive pic of the 47, didn't bother to re-size it!)

---

Tippers Vintage Plates  will make them to your own template. Or there's Framptons  Vintage plates who I've used for an odd size plate in the past.

---

But they all help to hide that beautiful pressing.

I'm not 100% sure yet but I will probably paint mine on my '47, thereby leaving the pressing visible. My car will be black (its original colour) and the numbers will be white/off white. I'm not sure how the 3/3 number will fit onto the pressing in the engine lid yet, on the front I think it will go either side of the bonnet catch.

Although I have seen many pictures of UK cars with plates so I don't think there is a correct or incorrect method. Unlike Rich's picture many of the pics I have seen of pre 49 rear plates are oblong placed across the pressing. (Same as the replacement lid that came with my car, I'll post a pic tomorrow)

Oh I look forward to the day I have to worry about getting that bit sorted 😃

Cheers
Kev

Alright Kev
Where the hell have you been this Summer.
Our paths usually cross somewhere.
All quite on the Maddock front,are we in for a big surprise?

Thanks for all the feedback on this, really really helpful. I'm going to give Sean a call and send him here (not sure if he's web friendly though!)

If it were mine I would be getting the paint out, I'm not sure if I like the white painted space, although I'm sure it is correct I would go for a colour a little closer to the rest of the car.

I do like the painted letters in Rob's picture, I think I would make a stencil and spray the letters on, but in a kind of lightly dusted way with a bit of overspray, it would feel rough to the touch!

---

Thanks for all the feedback on this, really really helpful. I'm going to give Sean a call and send him here (not sure if he's web friendly though!)

If it were mine I would be getting the paint out, I'm not sure if I like the white painted space, although I'm sure it is correct I would go for a colour a little closer to the rest of the car.

I do like the painted letters in Rob's picture, I think I would make a stencil and spray the letters on, but in a kind of lightly dusted way with a bit of overspray, it would feel rough to the touch!

---

Here's the pic of my 47 lid as promised.

Cheers
Kev  6038.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

I would definitely leave the 'triangle' exposed and uncovered.
After all, it's one of the main features of pre-May 49 cars.
I did this Photoshop montage of what my 1948 would (and soon will, from what I hear...) look like after a REME revamp...
Even when it was baby blue, I put the plate on the rear bumper too.
Nicolas. :wink:  6084.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

Yeah, thats cool. I'd make the plate removeable for shows too... 😎

---

That was exactly the idea. I had got blank metal plates which I painted, behind which I had a long flat aluminium piece stuck with sticky pads to the back of each plate. The flat piece was pierced at each end and I ran a pice of plastic-coated garden wire which I tied around the bumper.
This meant no holes in the plates or through the bumpers.
An army car should come to a show with no plates really.
The stencilled army numbers were meant to serve as means of identification in place of civilian number plates. So having both would be a bit of an unnecessary overkill.
I know it's from the front but look at this 1947 CCG whizzing around some post-war German town. Nice!
Nicolas.
:shock:  6088.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

I have been told about a man called Harvey, and I think he might be Essex? and although I like painted, I have seen his plates 'up close in real life' on a few military vehicles now and they are excellent, if you want a metal plate on the back as well as the front (correct for early German /German military).
These pics were taken by a friend on his phone ( he has Harveys plates on his BMW R35 now also) but you get the idea. Even the 'white' background is a varied patchy cream/white shade, and best of all the edges are pressed/bevelled! rather than just cut and painted flat plate.
His number is 01245 223050. They are handmade and about £90pair and I am told will take 'a while'.

Harvey's plates



These pics are of a REAL Luftwaffe front plate that was for sale for around $600 a while back.

---

Yes you are correct he is in Essex. 01245 is a Chelmsford area code.

---