Talk Morgan Forums Community Welcome Forum Number plate

We have a 1991 Plus Four which we have had from new, supplied direct to us from the factory. Last week the MOTwas due and the garage said that we should alter the rear number plate as it was partly obscured by the bumper. Well I have to say this is correct but what puzzles me is that for the last 33 years it has been deemed o.k. until now. I thought that if it was supplied from new like that there is some sort of type approval which makes it o.k. I have looked on the government site and it does say that the number plate should not be obscured but that’s today - it surely must have been ok in 1991.
If I move the plate onto the bumper I shall have to alter the lights but the mechanic suggests that I should just drill a couple of new holes lower down the on the plate to just drop it down a bit which is easier and probably what I shall do as long as it does not ride too low down. He says that he’s not just being picky but if I get pulled over for it that it could reflect on him. But again this has not happened in the past.
I realise that I shall have to make some sort of adjustment but would be interested to know if (1) there has been some sort of recent alteration in regulations and (2) just for interest how could I find out what the rules are regarding type approval. Anyone got any views or ideas. Thanks, Lesley.

Looks like your first post, so welcome!

A photo would be useful, but my first thought would be to get the test done somewhere else.

Welcome to TM. This was never raised as an issue when we owned a 1985 4/4 which, I expect, had the same arrangement. That car was always MOT’d by someone who was used to Morgans and their foibles.

As per the above comment - change your MOT station - if this is something he picks up, it is possible that he could have missed something that actually matters!

I used to have this problem. The first time, the MOT station documented that they had refixed the plate above the bumper and turned the number plate light upside down to acheive a pass. For subsequent years, I made a pair of short brackets to lower the plate by an inch. I would remove them again immediately after the test as otherwise I would have lost the plate at the first road hump.

The car no longer requires testing so not a problem now.

My 85 +8 has it`s rear number plate obscured by the bumper and as such was the standard location for Morgan number plates up until the MMC changed the mounting point. I suspect the change was brought about by the introduction of new regs to make the numberplate more visible to traffic monitoring cameras,...? I doubt that the MMC would have altered the numberplate location otherwise...?

lesley,the same thing happened to me years ago resulting in a fail (pedantic tester), so I took the rear bumper off and it passed. I did this the following year as well, then after that I just presented it with the bumper attached and it was never mentioned again and it was the same tester every time. As the yoof of today say go figure.

David Byrne 1985 +8

Mmmm! mine is a 2010 plus 4 and it has full width bumpers and the number plate in that traditional below bumper position. I too thought that it seemed a tad obscured by the bumper so I had a little assessment and found that when you walk a few yards away from the rear of the car it is clearly visible and it's just the fact that people are standing so close to the vehicle that it appears more obscured than it really is. I think that Morgan a owners response should be to say that it's an intelligence test for MOT testing stations!

It did pass, this was a suggestion by the garage. This is a garage which we have used for a number of years for all our vehicles. We have decided at some time before the next test is due we will take the easier option and lower the plate on the existing brackets as far down as it will go, which is not far, and see what happens next time. Thanks for all your replies. Lesley.

Just tell the tester to stand the required eye test distance behind the car! Assuming his eyesight is not defective, he'll be able to read it

Did some MOT testers have problems with the fly off handbrake?