Other Random Car Sightings

[CraigB]

Any clue why I saw this car with these plates driving around Springfield, MO? Bonus points if you can tell me where they are from.

Edit: Never mind, found it's a temporary Swedish plate. Now tell me why it's a metal temp tag.

[Eye-Q]

Well, here in Germany numberplates, even temporary ones, are usually made out of metal so IMHO it's not that unusual to see a metal temp tag.

What is unusual is a car with swedish temp tags in the states...

[CraigB]

It's odd to me, the states I have lived in have paper or plastic temp plates that are only good for 30 days.

[Elvis313]

Originally Posted by CraigB

It's odd to me, the states I have lived in have paper or plastic temp plates that are only good for 30 days.

Afaik, over here the (temporary) metal plates the dealers own can be used for multiple cars.

[CraigB]

We have something similar. They are called dealer plates, but they are only used for test drives (and for the dealer to take cars home). Then when you buy a car you either transfer your current plates (at least in Missouri, some states are different) or you get a paper/plastic tag.

[Eye-Q]

When I think of a temporary plate I rather think of a plate which has an enddate embossed (here in Germany they have a yellow block on the right where the enddate is embossed), not the one that car dealers own for test drives of customers or transfers to other dealers (they have red letters and no enddate or anything else).
These temporary plates can be used for cars which were just bought and have to be transferred before they can be registered "officially", for example when you don't have the vehicle registration certificate yet but have to get the car from far away (here in Germany the number plate isn't attached to the owner but to the car, and when the car is deregistered the number plate is released).

Here is everything which applies to german numberplates, including temporary and dealer plates.

[Elvis313]

Originally Posted by CraigB

We have something similar. They are called dealer plates, but they are only used for test drives (and for the dealer to take cars home). Then when you buy a car you either transfer your current plates (at least in Missouri, some states are different) or you get a paper/plastic tag.

Well, when I bought my fiesta, the dealer managed the registration progress for me and as soon as I took my car home (one day after signing) it already had the final plates. So, no need for that kind of plates

[napoleondyna]

Originally Posted by CraigB

Any clue why I saw this car with these plates driving around Springfield, MO? Bonus points if you can tell me where they are from.

Edit: Never mind, found it's a temporary Swedish plate. Now tell me why it's a metal temp tag.

It has the plates because the people who bought the car decided to do the overseas delivery thing where Volvo flies you out to Sweden and gives you your car at the factory and lets you drive it around for a few days. Then when you're done you give it back and they ship it to you in the US and you pick it up at your dealer, with the temporary plates they put on it so you could drive it in Europe. The car was probably on the way to the DMV to get the US plates. I know all this cause we did the same thing with our XC90.

[JakeRadden]

Looks like that guy in the C30 stopped to do some shopping on his way to the DMV.

A LOT of shopping.

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by napoleondyna

It has the plates because the people who bought the car decided to do the overseas delivery thing where Volvo flies you out to Sweden and gives you your car at the factory and lets you drive it around for a few days. Then when you're done you give it back and they ship it to you in the US and you pick it up at your dealer, with the temporary plates they put on it so you could drive it in Europe. The car was probably on the way to the DMV to get the US plates. I know all this cause we did the same thing with our XC90.

Out of curiosity, are there any added charges for these so-called European deliveries?

[dino_martini]

Originally Posted by Shawn

Out of curiosity, are there any added charges for these so-called European deliveries?

I dont believe there are any added charges if you buy a Volvo. For now they will even give you two tickets on Scandinavian Air Service to go to Europe to pickup the car after you buy it. They give you 14 days of insurance and registration. The car can stay in Sweden up to 6 months, after that you pay 8% tax on the car.

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by dino_martini

I dont believe there are any added charges if you buy a Volvo. For now they will even give you two tickets on Scandinavian Air Service to go to Europe to pickup the car after you buy it. They give you 14 days of insurance and registration. The car can stay in Sweden up to 6 months, after that you pay 8% tax on the car.

Wow, sounds like a fantastic deal.

Although in all honesty I wouldn't do this if I was buying a Volvo, it would definitely be something to consider if you're buying a good performance BMW, Merc or Audi.

[dino_martini]

Originally Posted by Shawn

Wow, sounds like a fantastic deal.

Although in all honesty I wouldn't do this if I was buying a Volvo, it would definitely be something to consider if you're buying a good performance BMW, Merc or Audi.

I think the only thing you pay for atleast where BMW is concerned is the flight to and from Germany. But they have like a 2-for-1 deal with Lufthansa.

Here is a set of photo's someone took from a European delivery BMW

http://www.bmwblog.com/2008/05/13/bm...-we-have-seen/

[Shawn]

Saw my first Lexus IS-F in the flesh. Not a fan of the car overall, but I say white does suite it pretty well.




Also saw this genuine London cab parked in my building's garage just now. There's a hotel connected to my building that hasn't opened yet, and it appears they've bought 2 or more of these Hackney cabs instead of limos.



I blurred the license plate and roof sign because I figured some seriously disturbed individual could just look up the hotel and its address. You gotta worry about these things when you're so good looking.

[Ramseus]

uhh... the rear doors have the hinge on the wrong end. Also I saw an ISF before... but it was at the lexus dealership. I dunno, I thought it was pretty cool.

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by Ramseus

uhh... the rear doors have the hinge on the wrong end.

No they're not, this is just what the new model London cabs are like.

The older, much cooler model is the one with the suicide doors. I don't know why they updated it, that had loads of character while this one looks like a cheap Chinese knockoff.

[Ramseus]

ignore me. I is dum. Shows how much attention I pay to things.

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by Ramseus

ignore me. I is dum. Shows how much attention I pay to things.

No worries, eh? I doubted it was a genuine London cab, so I had to look it up. Last time I was in London was 1997, which is when the new version came out, which is why I thought this might be a knockoff.

[lv2xlr8]

Originally Posted by napoleondyna

It has the plates because the people who bought the car decided to do the overseas delivery thing where Volvo flies you out to Sweden and gives you your car at the factory and lets you drive it around for a few days. Then when you're done you give it back and they ship it to you in the US and you pick it up at your dealer, with the temporary plates they put on it so you could drive it in Europe. The car was probably on the way to the DMV to get the US plates. I know all this cause we did the same thing with our XC90.

What about the license plate? Euro spec cars have a much larger license plate than US spec cars. It's probably a simple reason but I never understood why? Maybe this is common knowledge and I'm just a tool?

[Banii]

I think i spotted a Mercedes Brabus Vito today.... oO