In fact there is clarification in the following issue (number 5).
It seems that it is true, black and white plates have been linked to the "historic" class since 2001 but only now has this become evident!
Note the phrase "
unintended consequence"...
---
My thanks to several members who contacted me to express
doubts over the item in the last Newsletter concerning non-
reflective number plates. In fact that information is correct
and I am grateful to DVLA for supplying
this detailed explanation.The previous Regulations on the display
of registration marks had only ever
permitted vehicles manufactured before 1973 to use black
and white number plates. However, the changes to the law
in 2001 which introduced the new (and current) number
plate format directly linked the pre-1973 vehicles with those
which were in the historic tax class (which had the same
dates). This meant that when the changes to the historic
tax class dates were announced in recent Budgets, this
had the unintended consequence of amending the display
Regulations to allow additional vehicles to display black and
white plates.For those wanting chapter and verse the detailed provisions
in Schedule 2 Part 2 of The Road Vehicles (Display of
Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 state that 'VEHICLES
REGISTERED ON OR AFTER 1ST JANUARY 1973 AND BEFORE
1ST SEPTEMBER 2001' must have white and yellow reflective plates,
either of the current design or the previous, but Regulation 18
provides that exempt vehicles shall be treated for these regulations
as registered before that date, so they therefore fall into
Schedule 2 Part 3 'VEHICLES REGISTERED BEFORE 1ST
JANUARY 1973'. It should be noted that DVLA publication
INF 104 has not yet been amended to reflect this situation.---
http://fbhvc.co.uk/members-pages/newsletter-archive/_file/201/fbhvc-news--5-15-pdf/ Page 6.
~iw
