American Registration

[vanhool1]

I have a Series 11 Alpine imported to the UK in 1990 from California that has been in a private store all this time along with 5 others all of which I have now aquired.

Having restored 4 other Alpines over the years with my dad we are relishing the challenge to try and restore them all (my dad has also just finished his Tiger, also from America but now RHD) I am trying to trace the history and original registration number as this is missing. I have the original VIN number (on a plate and in the engine bay). I have been able to contact the last owner in Oceanside CA (from a petrol rcpt left in the car) but he dosn't know the reg as only owned for a short time.
Hopefully someone will be able to help.

Thanks!!!

Richard

 

[Tullamore]

Do you mean you are trying to find the original UK registration number?

 

[vanhool1]

No will have to get UK age related plate as the car has always been a LRO so was exported from UK to America? from new. Just interested to find out American Reg & possibly any history.

 

[Nick Farrow]

I'd also be interested to know if there's any way to get history on my car as mine is a US car (re)imported to the UK in 1991 and I suspect it's a Californian car due to its exceptional condition!

 

[sunbeam74]

I am not sure you can track a US car back too far in California. In my case all I needed to do was go back to 1987. (Last time the car was plated)
Since the records weren't computerized they were unable to assist even though I could give them the original black plate number and the SN number.



Steve

 

[mikephillips]

Most states don't keep records, and the fact that the car could have had a number of different plates over it's life makes finding much history a real hit or miss thing. Best you can do is probably hit the various Sunbeam sites and places like Hemmings motor news with the description and vin and see if you find anyone who remembers it.

 

[chris]

Even if they still have it, California DMV will not give up any past registered owner information.

I've heard of thing called a car facts report from a privet company, but I don't know what it contains or where they get their information.

 

[sunbby]

I've heard of thing called a car facts report from a privet company, but I don't know what it contains or where they get their information.

Are you thinking of CARFAX http://www.carfax.com/?

You can check a car's history by VIN but it's only available for 1981 and newer vehicles.

 

[Alpine Addict]

One thing to note is that cars here in the US get a new plate after a period of time. In Texas it is 6 years.

 

[bbonner]

California cars

Well I know that when my Uncle lived in california the plates came with the car not the owner. That was back in the 60's. Don't know if that is the case now. If the car swoped owners the plates went with the car not the owner. I thought at the time that this was strange that is why I remember it.

 

[vanhool1]

Have contacted last owner and he thinks he might be able to get in touch with the owner before him who would know more about registration number/history. I found a credit card receipt in car from Vista, Ca (from 1989)with a name on and from that I found his contact details through an American search site. He now lives in Oceanside, California.

I'm hoping he will come back with something useful.

Only just joined site and really happy with responses.

Good to know there's such a strong commitment to keeping the Rootes vehicles alive!!!!

 

[Alpine Bob]

I know when I lived in California, I had personal plates and they stayed with the person, not the car.

 

[bbonner]

Well like I said that was back in the early 60's so they probably go with the people now.

 

[65beam]

registration number

i think it would be safe to say that here in the U.S. cars were not given a registration number like you have in the U.K. when you bought the car here in ohio ,you took the title to the local license office and they gave you a set of license plates . the next year you went again and you got a new set of tags for the car . this still happens today. if you want a new set of tags ,you can change every year . most people threw the old tags away every year since they were stamped with the year on them. i'm not sure when they quit stamping the year into the tags . of couse they are not stamped with raised numbers and letters now . the only tags we have that never need renewed now are historical plates ,plus you don't need to renew them every year .if you sell a car here in ohio,the tags do not go with the car. if you buy another car ,you go to the local license office and they transfer them to your new car . my regular cars cost 39.85 each year . i would say ohio also deletes the records after a few years . does the regitration number stay with the car all it's life ?

 

[Lee DeRamus saoca0404]

Richard, and Nick,
Did I talk to either of you about this at the Alpine Annual in 2006 at Bath? I did try to explain to several owners that here in the U.S., each state has it's own system. If we move to another state, we have to get a new registration in that state. Plates used to be changed every year, now we just get a sticker to put on it. Here in Louisiana, the plate goes with the owner, EXCEPT.
with antique plates. Once a vehicle is registered with an antique plate, that plate stays with the car as long as it is in Louisiana. Move to another state, another completly different system, and another plate. What is sort of neat here, we can use an original year of car plate as an antique plate. My 1962 Series II has an original 1962 plate on it that will stay on as long as it is in Louisiana. The reason I ask, one of the owners said his car had come from California.
Lee

 

[Alpine 1789]

I remember a friend of my in the UK was stopped at a light in his 67 MGB when a car pulled up next to him and the driver excitedly told him that he had been the original owner of the car. They pulled off the road and the original owner had a chance to check out 'his' car and tell the current owner a few things about its history. I didn't understand at first how this was even possible (how many white MGB's were sold in England?), which is when I learned about the plate system in the UK. What a wonderful system for classic cars. There is not much chance of that happening here. It's certainly possible, but not likely.