Motorcycle query

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Rich Payne
There seems to have been a rough corelation between year in service and the first two digits of five from 1933 onwards, changing to six digits in 1935 and seven in 1939. There was then a jump at the end of 1939 from C39***** numbers to C41***** (Any idea what happened to C40***** ?)

Rich,

This system started around 1930, from No. 1, in fact No.1 to 5208 was allocated to Impressed Vehicles of various makes and types, next was M5209 to 5230 Austin 2 seater car, 4x2. It is by pure coincidence that the first two digits on the example you mention, are around the year of manufacture. There appeared to be batches of numbers not used and 399999, prefixed L, because it was a Thornycroft, was the last five figure serial starting with 3. 40000 to 46000 was a group not taken up. Then C46001 to C47551 was for Impressed m/cycles of various makes.

Your example C39**** to C41****, is I assume, six figure numbers? If so they were used with various makes of vehicles and m/cycles, inc. BSA Royal Enfield, Norton, Morris Comm., Scammell, Ford, Guy, etc.