Drivers selling their car must beat deadline or 'could miss out on thousands'

Driversplanning to flog their motor should act before the end of August or risk losing out on thousands of pounds, industry experts have warned.

Once fresh '75' plate motors hit showrooms on September 1, car ownerscould watch their current vehicle's value plummet as the market braces for a flood of new stock, Motorpoint has cautioned.

Speaking about how September's fresh registration plate could hammer your motor's worth, Tim Rodie, motoring expert at Motorpoint, explained: "It's well-documented that new car prices are heavily impacted by the plate change but motorists may not be aware that the price of their current vehicle can also be affected." In other similar news, anyone buying fuel next week given '£15 charge' warning by The AA.

READ MORE: Driving expert's clever trick to stop tailgaters without having to brake

READ MORE: What to do when being tailgated - driving instructor shares how to prevent smash

He added: "Interestingly it isn't the new plates themselves that impact the value of your car but rather the influx of brand-new vehicles on the road. With newer models entering the used car market and lots of drivers looking to sell you could see the value of your car decline quite considerably. If anyone is looking to sell their car I would strongly recommend that they do so ahead of September 1."

The launch of '75' plates on Monday, September 1, will impact motorists across England, Scotland, and Wales, reports Wales Online. Since 2001 the UK Government has introduced fresh number plates on March 1 and September 1 to clearly distinguish when a new motor has been registered.

Regarding which aspects of the plate change matter most, Mr Rodie explained: "To understand a number plate you don't really need to worry about the letters. The first two act as a DVLA memory tag and the final three are completely random. The most important bit for motorists is the two numbers in the middle because these show the age of a vehicle."

READ MORE: Drivers with these number plates on their vehicles could be owed £950 payment

He continued: "Those registered between March and the end of August have the current year of 25 but for any car registered between September 1 and the end of February 2026 the identifier will be the last two digits of the current year plus 50 – which is why this time it will be 75."

"Age is one of the most important factors to impact the value of your vehicle. Each time a new registration plate is introduced your car will be considered older and therefore lose some of its value." Mr Rodie concluded: "Keeping tabs on the age of your vehicle and selling your car ahead of the plate change is one of the easiest ways to ensure you are getting the best price possible."