Automotive History
Did Anyone Get That License Number?
After the end of WWII, teenagers, trying to find their individualism,
made their cars into hot rods, low-riders and high-riders. They put chrome
on everything that would hold it, and painted everything that was paintable
- often with florescent colors, and otherwise extended their efforts to
make their car their "own." Many people hung a pair of oversized dice from
their mirror in an effort to show independence. Some displayed logos of
their school or club. Then came the bumper sticker. The bumper sticker
was first held on with wires and probably said, "Buy War Bonds." After
the war, the stickers actually began to stick. Probably due to our need
to "do (or say) our own thing." Nearly every car now has a message; some
subtle, some clever, and some down-right obnoxious.
In 1901, Connecticut passed laws regulating the registration and speed
of motor vehicles. That same year, New York state required "that every
vehicle shall have the separate initials of the owner's name placed upon
the back thereof in a conspicuous place." That was fine when there were
only 954 cars involved, but when registrations increased, the variety of
lettering and location of the initials was so great that the state amended
the decree and required that assigned registration numbers be shown on
plates or leather pads. The state collected a $1.00 fee and assigned the
owner a number. He had to buy brass numerals, bolt them to a strip of leather,
and attach his homemade tag to his car. In 1903, Massachusetts issued the
first official state-made license plates, heavy porcelain-enameled white
on dark blue tags. Other states followed suit with variations of metal,
leather, wooden shingles, sheet metal and some do-it-yourself styles. The
first state driver's license laws were passed by Rhode Island in 1908 and
then New Hampshire in 1909.
When the states took over the production of license plates, they used
their prison population for the actual work - rehabilitating their inmates
for a position for which there was no job on the outside.
In 1937, Connecticut offered the first "vanity tags." Other states,
seeing an opportunity to get more money for no more service, followed suit.
They soon found that personalized license plates could become a giant problem.
Just a few letters, chosen by some clever motorist, could produce an embarrassing
sentiment to the issuing office. After a few incidents, they hired staff
to carefully review each request so that it would not reflect badly on
the state. It is now prestigious to buy a license plate or "Vanity tag"
in order to display a personal message. These, as the car itself once was,
are symbols of status.
Losing tags to a thief is not unusual. Authorities report that these
prestige license plates are being stolen in increasing numbers. To make
matters worse, motorists are discovering that it doesn't pay to be too
smart. The more clever and creative a tag is, the more apt it is to be
stolen. On the other hand, the owner may derive some pleasure and comfort
from this implied salute to his creativity.
