[Healeys] Black Plates

[Mark Fawcett]

Editorgary at aol.com wrote:
> I also have Calif "black plates" on my 1960 BN7. They were on the car when I 
> got it, since the car had been continuously registered with that number from 
> its original sale. I assume they were put on the car by the original owner in 
> 1963, when Calif switched from black on yellow plates to yellow on black 
> plates, and then left on when the state realized how expensive it was to switch 
> everyone's plate whenever they decided to switch colors.
> That, by the way, is why the phrase "original black-plate car" often appears 
> in for-sale ads. It indicates that the car has been continuously maintained 
> and registered as a California since the early 1960s. Seems to me there is 
> legislation pending that would allow "Year of Manufacture" plates to be used on 
> cars built after the black plates came into existence, but afaik that isn't 
> possible yet. I think YOM plates can only be used with cars build before 1963. 
> Anyone with more interest can easily check the Cal DMV website and look up the 
> regs on YOM plates.
> Cheers
> Gary
>
> I had the black plates when I got my BT7 in 1998, but wasn't allowed to keep them because the car hadn't been registered for about 20 years. I got YOM plates (1956 yellow with black numbers)from Ebay and actually like them better.
>   

Mark Fawcett
1959 BT7