One sees every day on the streets and roads cars bearing numbers and letters quite unfamiliar. It is advantageous, in many ways, for the motoriste to be fairly well acquainted with some of the more important index-marks. One can easily remember in the United Kingdom that Ireland’s index-letters all contain the letter I and Scotland’s all the letter S (with two exceptions). England and Wales to date, with very few exceptions, use up the letters A, B, C, D, E and F. London has now four distinct index-marks and no doubt will add to them as the increase in cars may demand.

All motor-cars must have an index-mark and a registration number, excepting those owned personally by his Majesty the King.

White letters and figures on a black plate are for privately owned cars. Trade vehicles use coloured figures and letters, usually red on a white plate. Trade vehicles usually also have additional letters which are granted them as a trade-mark or for trade purposes. But the index-mark or letter of their locale must, in all instances, be placed first on the plate.

Registration need not be effected in the same district in which the car is owned, so that, with some trouble, an owner can have practically any letter she likes on her car.

The fee for registration, £1, need be paid only once on any one car, excepting on change of ownership, when a fee of 5s. is payable. But with this change of ownership the index-mark and registration number remain the same. If a new index-mark and registration number are wanted, the existing ones can be cancelled and the car re-registered, in any locality, on payment of the full fee.

The following are the index-marks in use in the United Kingdom:

ENGLAND AND WALES

SCOTLAND

All cars bearing on their index-marks the letter S can, at a glance, be put down as Scottish, for Scotland alone has a right to the use of this letter:

IRELAND

The inclusion of the letter I on a car’s index-mark stamps that car at once as Irish, for the use of this letter is confined to Ireland:

FRANCE

In France the index-numbers are divided among sixteen sections, including Algeria, which are called Arrondissements minÉralogiques. Some of these sections contain as many as eight departments or counties. The majority have single letters. Paris has five sets of single letters. It is necessary for a motoriste from the United Kingdom, when taking her car into France, to affix a French index-mark above her British one. This mark and number will be given her at the point of debarkation on registering the car and on passing a pleasant and easy little examination in the art of driving. This test consists in driving round a square or up and down the street for about a quarter or half a mile, turning a few corners en route. The French index-marks are as follows:

GERMANY

The motoriste from the United Kingdom can take her car into Germany and drive it there without having to put on a new number. Germany willingly accepts the British index-mark already on the car. Index-marks in Germany are allotted in twenty-six different sections, one of which, Prussia, is sub-divided into twelve provinces and the city of Berlin. In nearly all the distinct kingdoms and duchies an attempt has been made to utilise the initial letter of that section, thereby making recognition of the locale of the car quicker.

In Prussia the mark is the number I in a Roman figure followed by letters of the alphabet. In many other provinces numbers in Roman figures are also used, the figure in most instances being followed by a letter of the alphabet.

The following are the German police index-marks for cars (Kraftfahrzeuge):