. . . believe this was discussed here a while ago. Then I heard it on NPR this AM
'. . . The mid- to late 1960s was the golden era for American muscle, and California with its picturesque coastline and wide-open highways became a destination for cars like the Chevrolet Chevelle, Dodge Charger and Pontiac GTO.
But today, many car enthusiasts trying to relive yesteryear by shelling out for an old-model ride have run into an aggravating roadblock — their unsightly, white, out-of-period license plates.
That’s why California Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Glendale, introduced the California Legacy License Plate Program. And this week, the Department of Motor Vehicles said it’s issuing the first run of black throwback plates.
“When people picture a really awesome muscle car or classic car, they picture a black plate,” Gatto said Tuesday. “They are the most classic of the classic era.”
California issued the black license plates from 1963 to 1969, and for those who restore cars of that era, finding an original can be time-consuming and expensive. Collectors have been known to dig through scrap yards or pay hundreds of dollars online for a set of matching original plates, hoping to meet the DMV’s laundry list of regulations for old plates, including making sure the year of the plate matches the year of car.
That may be why the reissued plates were the fastest specialty plates ever to hit 7,500 pre-orders. That’s the number the DMV needed to hit to start cranking them out — at $50 a pop — after ensuring the program would pay for itself.
“This met demand very, very quickly,” said Gatto.
The legislator has restored classic cars himself, most recently a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS that he sold — with regrets.
“I wish I had a black plate,” he said, “and I wish I kept the car.”
The black plates will be stamped from the original molds at the state’s license plate factory at Folsom Prison. The only difference is the new ones will get sprayed with a clear, reflectorized coating so they can be seen at night.
To the most hard-core gear heads and collectors, though, the reissued plates won’t be the same.
“We deal with this all the time,” said Mike Sarcona, who owns Classic Cars West in Oakland and deals in vintage cars. His 1965 Ford Mustang, 1968 Excalibur SS Roadster and 1970 Chevy pickup all have original black plates.
“Now you’ll have to explain,” he said of the reissues. “They’re black plates, but they’re not original black plates. There will be a caveat.”
Sarcona said part of the reason original plates are so desirable is that they help show the car is originally from California. Other states — especially those with harsh winters — salt their roadways, which is good for traction but bad for cars’ metal, which eats away over time.
“California cars are really desirable,” Sarcona said. “You can get a classic car from New York, but it could be a rust bucket.”
Mike Garfinkle, who owns Classic Restoration of California in Concord, likes the idea of the throwback plates, even though “the real enthusiasts will be able to spot them dead on.”
He said that for some folks, spending weeks searching for original plates — which may or may not be cleared by the DMV — is a waste of time.
Time-consuming search
“I think that if there is a demand for them, then absolutely it’s a good thing,” he said from his shop Tuesday. “You could go to a swap meet and rifle though a couple hundred plates trying to find a pair. You could spend weeks or a whole summer trying to put together a set of plates.”
What’s more, the reissued black plates won’t be reserved for vintage car owners. Someone looking to give their new Toyota Prius or a Tesla Model S a postmodern vibe can order a set.
For Gatto, the Legacy License Plate Program is about more than adding a small detail to a vehicle. It’s about embracing the state’s legacy.
“There is something that has tied Californians to the automobile,” he said. “This is something that people take seriously” . . .'
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/C...es-6344016.php
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