[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Richard, it was and is very confusing. Southampton City Council as it now is from 1st April 1974 is a unitary authority again. As is Porstmouth although the local DVLA rego office is in Portmouth and they issue all the old Hampshire/Southampton/Portsmouth regos BUT Isle of Wight, a County and now unitary authority, issue their own traditional rego letters and have done since 1974.

I once offered a family £500 for the rego 'SOW 32' on a Southampton-registered and based Morris Minor but they refused the offer. I thought I could have resold it to a pig farmer.

I have just noticed that some of my photo collection of Thirties WD trucks have Middlesex County Council regos, as they would be expected to, but in the 'MG XXXX' series...this was a 1929 series issue but blocks were allocated to the Government and used over a period of years.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Alex, thanks for the links. The North American '35 Ford was the Model 50 I gather. The UK equivalent I think was the Model C but I may be wrong.