h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think I'm right in saying that diplomatic cars in UK have a D in the middle of their plates. Does anyone know if the rest of the plate has any anything to do with what diplomat owns the car?

Oh, and when I was a kid, many would argue that I still act like one , when we were bored on long car journeys we would try and spot older and older cars, moving one year at a time from whatever the licence plate was for that year, such as W, trying to get as close the A as possible. Wherever we got to after one journey, we would remember that and carry on next time our parents forced into the back of our Ford Granada.

After around five years of this we ended up with E, I think, although that could be wishful thinking.

Ahhhh yes the stories that are told of long car journeys in childhood ..... we could only afford a blue 'M' reg Ford Cortina with plastic seats and an old coathanger for an aerial.

I used to read the AA book which contained a list of all the registration districts. More excitingly though there was the cigarette lighter to be played with when Dad had just nipped into the local shop ......

If I recall correctly Diplomatic Licence Plates and Miltary licence plates were withdrawn in the 80s as they seemed too much like a sign saying "Hey terrorists, why not blow THIS car up". Nowday's I think they have normal ones and when a policeman or a traffic warden reports it a list on computer just stops them making the fine. I could be wrong though

Round this part of North London we do quite often see these 999 D 999 style plates on what seem fairly new cars, so I believe they're still in use.

Unless, of course, anyone out there knows different...

No I think diplomatic plates still exist. If you walk through Kensington and that, where all the embassies are, you see plates with odd combinations of letters and numbers. Trouble is I can't remember what exactly is odd about them, so I'm not really being terribly helpful here...

Your lucky you didn't see the Mayor of Warrington when playing the game to see the lowest rated car. The mayor still has the old ED1 plate.

The registration plate I would most like to get hold of would be WGU 18G from "Ford Timelord" (remember Doctorin' The Tardis, oh dear this is the Beeb, I'm bringing back bad memories of "Chill Out"* for them :D) either that or T23 KLF

*anyone who doesn't understand look for info on ex-pop group The KLF.