A time-line of Hong Kong car registration / licence plates

Interesting post; however the XX prefix was in use before 1957 - in 1954 my father bought a Standard Vanguard 1a saloon (with the rounded back, three-speed column change!) with the registration XX2427. We brought it back to the UK as a perk on an aircraft carrier on some special indulgence system for £5 I think; it was re-reg'd in Portsmouth as SYM 523 and we kept it for a few more years.

This is not good news.
We work under the premise that XX came after HK,
I know that my dad's car HK 3105 was from 1954,
and if Eric's dad's car was also from 1954 with an XX registration,
it rules out this useful method of dating.
Alun

I have been lookling at various bits of info i have and have come across a vehicle XX2795 which was registered as far as I can ascertain in late 1953/early 1954. the car in question is a 1953 Morgan.

Hi there,

To throw in a bit more confusion :-P  I believe local Transport Department also had a policy to allow car owners to keep and transfer their existing license plates to a new car.  This being the case that I have seen a sort of modern day car with a XX plate very recently.   

Thanks & Best Regards,

T

A bit of further trivia to confuse the issue.

At the 1954 Macau Grand Prix there were three 1953 model TR2s. Their registration nos were 9517,HK1059 and XX2841.

I'm not sure if photo is helpful at all, as I do not know exactly when it was taken (mid-50s?), but it certainly shows the HK-nnnn licence plates of cars parked in Statue Square. 

Regards, Andrew

Our family car in the early 1950s was a black Vanguard with a rounded back - plate number HK7013.

Our 2nd Vanguard in the late 50s a red & cream colour Vanguard AA79.  It was resprayed Grey after the Taxis turned red & silver, and too many people were clamouring with us to get into the car.

Our next car in the early 60s was a Chevy Nova 6 plate number AD7851.  I don't remember the Holden that replaced it in the late 60s.  

My impression is that the HK XX as well as the ones without prefix co-existed. Plate numbers 1-20 were reserved for VIPs (Exco/Legco members).  

Until the late 60s, plates of Government vehicles were in the 8-series, sometimes with the HK prefix.  Some good numbers were reserved for plates of some top Administrators such as: 8888 was the Secretary for Chinese Affairs; HK8888 was for the Attorney General; although simply No.2 was for the Financial Secretary; No.1 for the Commissioner of Police; No.5 was Dr. P.H. Teng, Director of Medical & Health; No.4 for Ronnie Holmes who left it to his successors as Secretary for Home Affairs.  In the early 70s, the AM series was introduced.

I am absolutely certain HK licence plates preceeded XX and AA came after that. I was told a story connected with the police suggesting the police officer in charge of establishing a licence plate system following the HK.  He wrote on a piece of paper starting with AA and then ............... down to XX.  For some unknown reason, his staff took the XX first

No 3 belonged to Sir Sik Nin Chau

Sadly, either there wasn't any - or their collection isn't complete - I couldn't find any registration & licensing regulations for previous incarnations of the RTO in the HKU old HK laws collection.

So not sure if number-only (and certain number combination) registration marks have always been considered special registration marks, nor if the transfer/abeyance of a registration mark between vehicles has always been possible - but common sense suggests the latter has been around, as otherwise anyone desirous of having the distinction of driving around with a registration mark of seniority (a British "class" thing I presume, from what I've seen in UK) could only get that registration mark back by auction.

Motors simply don't last long here.  They would, I presume, have been a sign of some prestige in the past.  Combine imported "class" distincitions with domestic attention to "face" - to me this would explain recollections surfacing here counter to the HK/XX/alphabetical order prefixes that followed numbers-only.

It is only by auction I believe that a previously issued registration mark has been reissued (at least after registration & licensing was taken away from the [once corrupt] Police).  I would imagine motor dealers would have also dabbled in registration marks then, as they do now.  In short: registration marks on (even new) motors, as is the case today, may not necessarily be an indication of the vintage of anything.

Reflex reflective registration marks came about in 1983, though motors registered before then had until mid-1985 to change from non-reflex reflective ones & by about 1990 had become a rare find on anything in the scrappers out Tuen Mun/Yuen Long way.

-kpl.

When Brian Slevin became the Commissioner of Police in 1974, he adopted AM33 for his flag car instead of No.1.  It did not fair well with the demoralised RHKP in the midst of the anti-corruption drive conducted by the ICAC.  His successor, Roy Henry, readopted the No.1 plate.  Successive CPs became affectionately referred to as "Yat Gor".

Plate No. 11 was a joke in the 50s; people would say they came by "Car No.11", meaning they came walking on their own two legs. Could the plate be for the car of KWOK Chan?

I think Dr. Sir Albert Rodrigues was not adverse to the No.13 plate because he was a fervent Catholic.  

I don't remember any car bearing the unlucky No.14 in the early days though.  However, No.4 was popular for Shanghainese because it sounds like their word 'Alive' instead of Death in Cantonese; therefore it has been on the Rolls of Cecil Chao after the Secy for Home Affairs released it for auction opting for AM4 instead. 

Is No.19 the British Consul General still?  It was for the Brtish High Commissioner in the old days. 

I came across a photo showing a motor bike with registration plate "HK 731" said to be taken near Stanley beach in 1920s.  Judgeing from the clothings of the two gentlemen, I doubt the photo date.  Will anyone give some advice as to the "date of the photo" and the bike "registration mark"?  Thank you.

Edmond

No "HK" in front of 731 on front registration mark.  Appearance of bike also consistent for 20s.

-kpl.

KPL.  Thanks for your reply.   The registration plate shows " H 731 K ".  Looks like the "H" and "K" were self-additions to the pure no. 731 to indicate that the plate was issued in Hong Kong.   I presume this was not illegal at that time.

regards/Edmond

Sorry Edmond, I didn't zoom in all the way & figured those were some sort of fixings!

I don't think the letters are part of the registration mark as the idea is to be able to identify the vehicle - they wouldn't be legible at all distances that the numerals would be.

Perhaps they're something like the BS-AU mark on today's plates that is so bloody important you'll fail a MOT without nowadays (even though the plate is otherwise fine).

-kpl.

Here's one of the archive images I'm currently looking at shows a car and number plate outside Repulse Bay, image will be dated between 1922-1926.

http://gwulo.com/node/19708

Seem to remember in the 1960's the Commander British Forces HK was allocated CBF 1.

But not for long.

H.

A photo of cars and their licence plates from 1952/1953 can be seen here

I have a photo of my father-in-law 'Jack' Macintyre Brown in Hong Kong on a motorbike and side car dated 1922. The rego number is  HK 505. The HK is above the 505.

We were told Jack had the first motor bike in Hong Kong. He probably had earlier bikes than the motorbike and side car. He was born in 1900 and arrived in Hong Kong during the first world war.

I think the H K on number plate 731 is consistant with the HK on plate 505. Although on  HK 505 the plate is solid white background and the HK is above 505. 

HK 505 is definately 1922.

It is unknown when the first Hong Kong vehicle registrations took place. Probably before 1910.

Hi Patricia,

Thank you for the info.  In the documents you read, is there any reference to the first car owner in Hong Kong?  From various sources, the first owner is said to be Dr. Noble (dentist) or Mr. Chu (businessman, see here for a comment from one of his descendents).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D62TzU1X2jk

Some interesting vehicle shots here. Also a biplane seaplane in flight: Walrus? 

Hi Arnhem,
It is very interesting to hear about your relative's 1922 photo on the motorcycle ... I organise the "Classic Bike Club of HK" and the annual "Motorcycle Show." I am researching for a Book on the "First 100 years of Motoring in Hong Kong" and this would be very interesting to include, especially if you had any details about Jack Brown.
Best,                 IAN
Ian Foster (ian@netvigator.com)
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Hi Edmond,

The guy riding the Bike looks 'British' in his attire (it must have been November to February wearing a woolen jumper!!), but his passenger looks American with those fancy white shorts!!

I could well believe the photos is from the 1920s. The Bike definitely fits that vintage, though I cannot make out the Brand-name on the tank. I see those Ratan Beach Huts in old 1920/1930s photos from Repulse Bay and Stanley.

Another great photo that would fit well into my Book ("First 100 years of Motoring in Hng Kong") if you have a good scan of it!?

Best,               IAN
Ian Foster (ian@netvigator.com)
***************************************

 

My dad bought a new Austin Cambridge in 1962. The registration was HK 867. Unfortunately I don’t have a pic but the reg is certainly correct.

"Is No.19 the British Consul General still?  It was for the Brtish High Commissioner in the old days."

- believe so, has the CC designation so is a consulate car.

My father kept the invoice he had for the Ford Anglia he bought in 1949 and there it shows that the licence plate that was allotted to his car was HK 640.

Invoice for Anglia.jpg, by Nona

taipo road.jpg, by Nona Pio-Ulski

The above photo of my father on Tai Po Road in 1938 shows his motorbike's licence plate :)

And in 1960 I had a red TR 2 registration number 9526....when I first bought it there was a removable hardtop.  

In 1963 the Deputy Commissioner of Police, K Bidmead had an old Bentley number 1234

The vehicle number plate system in 1920 can be read here

Hi Nona,

Those are very interesting photos, and the Invoice is amazing ... your Family has a very good Filing System to have that document survive for 70 years! I am researching for a Book to record Hong Kong's Motoring heritage and would love to hear any stories you may recall. Was your father in the 'HK Regiment' by any chance as that looks like a BSA 500cc, used by the Regiment pre-War (usually owned by the individuals, but used for Military Service). 

Best,            IAN 
Ian Foster
ian@netvigator.com
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Hi Ian

Thanks for your comment but I'm afraid I haven't got any stories to share with you!

Both my parents were White Russian Emigres from China who came to HK in November 1937 from Shanghai. I must say I was pretty amazed to see those photos of my father on that motorbike as I would never have imagined him riding one! LOL!  

I thought that perhaps my father had rented one for the day to get around the New Territories but I haven't got any proof of that! He had his own orchestra which had gigs at the Peninsula, HK Hotel and Repulse Bay Hotel and I often wondered how he got to Repulse Bay and back!

He wasn't with the HK Regiment but again, I was surprised to see that after HK was liberated, he handed in a Waffenfabrik Mauser Oberndorf A Neckar pistol  

No idea why he would have had one in the house but in 1945 my mother received two letters - one from the senior officers in Shamshuipo PoW camp and then one from Cecil Harcourt when he was Commander-in-Chief of the Colony.  I only found those letters after both parents died and I went through my father's leather suitcase where he had all these incredible mementos and photos!  They never spoke about their experiences during the war but an internet friend who was researching about his own family in HK thought that my parents could have been involved with BAAG!

Sorry it's such a long-winded reply 

Cheers

Nona

Hi Nona,

Your message is interesting, it is amazing how much detail and family history gets lost in the mists of time. 

Could I possibly use the photos in a Book I am researching on the "First 100 years of Motoring in Hong Kong." I can be contacted at ian@netvigator.com.

Best Regards,                   IAN 
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All HK Government vehicles have a registration number begin with AM.... This is because at that time the police officer who was assigned to allocate the registration numbers was called Alaistair Morrison.  This has been fact checked as my colleague was told the same by the son of this gentleman.

No, Alec Morrison

The connection between Alec Morrison and the use of AM at the beginning of HK Government number plates is a widely circulated story, but unfortunately it is just a coincidence rather than a fact.  Alec Morrison may have been in charge of the Traffic Branch when AM number plates were first introduced, but "AM" was adopted as an abbreviation for Administration.  In a similar fashion, "A" was used for ambulances and "F" was used for fire department vehicles.

So where do the single licence plate numbers for official cars come in? They definitely had more than 2 wheels! Why did the CP have "1", the Colonial Secretary have "2", etc...? (1-9999??)

The Commisoner of Police was allocated 1 for his vehicle when the police were administering vehicle licensing. Following the establishment of a Transport Department in (1968) a long lasting kerfuffle between government departments ensued over who should have this number. I remember The Colonial Secretay having CS,  th Chief Justice CJ, Financial Secretary FS. I think the dispute over Reg nos. 1, 2 3 etc was solved by auctioning the numbers off, which then became a regularly feature for supposed "lucky numbers"

I beg to differ. The numeral "1" was never put up for auction as I recall as the CP argued against it saying the Plate 1 might conceivably fall into the hands of a nefarious gang leader which would be bad for police morale. And LI Kwan-ha won the argument.

But I do recall No.8 was very popular with the local rich and powerful and it may have gone to Sir Run Run Shaw, correct me if I'm wrong. Or did he get No. 6 instead? In any case the Transport Dept was raking it in at the public auctions held at the City Hall.

Based on some limited research, I understand that the current 'owners' of licence plates 1 to 10 are as follows:

1  : Commissioner of Police
2  : Wong Ming Wai (王明維)
3  : Cheng Kung Sze (鄭公時)
4  : Cecil Chao (趙世曾)
5  : Joseph Lau (劉鑾雄)
6  : The Hong Kong head of Amway
7  : Heung Chik Kau (香植球)
8  : Law Ting Pong (羅定邦)
9  : Albert Yeung (楊受成)
10 : Yung Wing Doi (容永道)

Thank you for the prompt update of the current holders of the prized HK licence plate numbers. I'm surprised anyone would want #4 for obvious reasons. After Sir Run Run passed I expected his choice Plate No. reverted to the Transport Dept for resale. Is that what happened?

According to a 1993 article in the SCMP (see https://www.scmp.com/article/20195/u-2-can-own-1-4-only-95-million ), the owners of number plates 1 to 10 were:

• 1 : Commissioner of Police
• 2 : Wong Ming-hung
• 3 : Cheng Kung-sze  (鄭公時)
• 4 : Cecil Chao  (趙世曾)
• 5 : Unknown person
• 6 : Run Run Shaw (邵仁楞)
• 7 : Heung Chit-kau (香植球), chairman of Tai Shing Development
• 8 : Law Ting-pong (羅定邦), chairman of garment manufacturer Laws International Holdings
• 9 : the late Tang Shiu-kin (鄧肇堅)
• 10 : Sanford Yung Yung-tao (容永道), chairman and senior managing partner of Coopers and Lybrand.

A few of the owners have changed since 1993: 5 is now owned by Joseph Lau (劉鑾雄), 6 by the Head of Amway and 9  by Albert Yeung (楊受成).

I did write "I think nos 1,2 & 3 etc were put up for auction. I got most of this correct and in one sense no.1 was allocated to the highest bidder. The Commissuoner of Police (Godfather-style) "made an an offer which couldn't be refused".

Here's a car with registration number 4. The photo is from April 1928.

1928 Driving with Style in the 20s., by eternal1966c1

Many thanks Mr Brumby for this early photo. While licence plate "4" meant nothing negative to Caucasians it was/is anathema to the superstitious Chinese population and something to be scorned, correct me if I'm wrong.

Klaus, Can you read the wording on the licence plate above the numeral "4"?

I tried Zoom function on the photo but it is still unclear. ...the second word might be "Licence", but I am unsure