V Reg car showing as 2001 registered

pugwash83

pugwash83

pugwash83

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9 Sep 2009
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Well that's strange, didn't notice this at all when buying the car. Everything checked out fine. Its a V reg car but just got the V5 back and its saying its registered in 2001 in top left hand corner. Isn't V 1999? I know the model (bmw 316i compact 1.9 engine) went from 99 - 2002 but surely its the manufacture year that should be there?
Anyway it runs fine and has no issues so could there be any issues here? I've done a TEXT check and everything comes back fine...so any thoughts guys?
 
May have had a custom plate at one point, then had the plate removed. Not sure if they always revert to your old plate.

You're allowed to fit older plates to a car (if you tell the DVLA), just not plates to make the car appear newer than it is

-edit, I really don't like the look of these, the front end looks ok, but the back end looks like an old Astra
 
cheers, was thinking it had something to do with a private plate
don't really care much about the looks, drives well and it a cheap runaround for me (hopefully stays that way).
 
The 316 compact did not run from 1999 to 2002 at all. There was a model change from e36 to e46 in mid 2001.

Which one is it? Hopefully not an e36 as the 316 compact is horrible and easily the worst car they ever made.
 
It's a V Reg 316 e36. In what way is it bad? Just drives like a normal e36 (e36 320i was what I had last just without the extra doors *which I don't need anyway). Its the 1.9 engine, I maybe thought it had an engine swap and thats why it was showing as registered in 2001. Its definitely an e36 though and has a V reg plate.
 
It sounds like it was first registered in the UK in 2001, so could be an import.

It has a mish-mash crappy interior, not even the regular E36 one (I think its more E30?), and the mechanicals are half E30 not full E36. It's an ancient design and the 1.9 litre engine is pretty crap as well, being neither particularly frugal not offering any performance whatsoever.

I can think of a not a single reason to purchase one beyond burning desperation to own a BMW.

You'd have been better off with a Ford or something.
 
[TW]Fox;19227796 said:
It sounds like it was first registered in the UK in 2001, so could be an import.

It has a mish-mash crappy interior, not even the regular E36 one (I think its more E30?), and the mechanicals are half E30 not full E36. It's an ancient design and the 1.9 litre engine is pretty crap as well, being neither particularly frugal not offering any performance whatsoever.

I can think of a not a single reason to purchase one beyond burning desperation to own a BMW.

You'd have been better off with a Ford or something.
Click to expand...

Any way of checking if its an import? chassis number or anything?
Yeah the interior isn't as nice as my '97 320i. So its a 2001 registered on a V plate? And yes I'd have been better off with a Ford or something but it'll do me for the time being.
 
Have a look on the V5. What does it say? Does it say 'Declared new at first registration' or 'Previously used overseas'?

If you are comfortable with it, post the reg and we'll see if anything teling pops up in the description of the car on some of the check sites.

It sounds like for whatever reason the car was first registered with the DVLA in 2001, but was given an age identifiable V registration plate as it wasn't declared as a new car in 2001.
 
Don't think I can PM you fox,

If I check on DVLA website its coming up as date of first registration on 01 02 2001. However, it states that the Year of manufacture is 1999.
The V5 is stating its a 316i Saloon (shouldn't it say compact)? I don't know if this is a clerical error or what, but concerns me a bit.

But it states that its a V reg on the car and log book. I can't see anything about being declared new at reg or previously used overseas, but don't know where that would be.
 
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A little service history (but I know that can be faked as well). But what would be dodgy about it? The fact it says it says its a Saloon on the log book and its a compact made me a bit worried when I got the log book back (not long ago). I didn't notice it when signing the log book in the first place (my fault I know)....
 
pugwash83 said:
A little service history (but I know that can be faked as well). But what would be dodgy about it? The fact it says it says its a Saloon on the log book and its a compact made me a bit worried when I got the log book back (not long ago). I didn't notice it when signing the log book in the first place (my fault I know)....
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Think you answered your own question here, did you buy from a dealer or privately?
 
Sounds very dodgy! Check the VIN I would and phone BMW and see if they have anything for the Reg/VIN on their system.

Check that MOT website as well.
 
Nearly every (if not all) BMW's I've seen have the manufacture date stamped in the engine bay, on the inner wing usually.
 
another possibility is it was a showroom model that was made in 99 then registered and sold in 01 when the new model was due to come out.
 
Shadez said:
another possibility is it was a showroom model that was made in 99 then registered and sold in 01 when the new model was due to come out.
Click to expand...

If this was the case it would be declared new at first registration and therefore issued with an X registration.
 
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