Chassis number or registration number? Spotting the registration number plate is a quick way of identifying a Vintage Bentley, but is it always accurate? Usually the answer is yes, but a surprising number of times it is not.

Going to our search page and typing in the registration number, may reveal some surprises like multiple registration numbers or "your query has returned no results". There are numerous reasons for not finding a match and usually the reason will be revealed on the chassis page. The importance of establishing the correct chassis number and using it for identification, particularly in correspondence, cannot be over emphasized.

This can sometimes lead to a lot of humorous confusion such as the Bentley dealer with several Vintage Bentleys but only one registration plate. He would put that plate on whichever car he was currently selling. Occasionally, you just have to open the bonnet and read the chassis number to determine what you are looking at. Now you know why we list the cars by chassis number and not registration plate number.

I would like to thank all you Bentley folks who made this month a great success with your contributions:

Andreas Nagel, Anthony Barrett, Bruce Washington, Carolyne Haynes, Chris Williams, David Abbott, David Bird, Dhondt Bert, Ed Gehringer, Edward LaBounty, Edward Stone, Helmut Karbe, Henrik Schou-Nielsen, Jane Bealby, Janet Ganderton, Jean-Pierre Mueller, John Rowley, Julian West Dr., Kurt Furger, Malcolm Tearle, Mary P. H. Burgoyne, Patricia Imrie, Paul Cooper, Paul Walker, Robert Beckett, Stuart Forsey, Syd Reinhardt, Tim Summers, Tom Heckman, Vicky Roberts. (A few of the contributions are queued up and will be published in the next few days.)