Question for our German friends

[Luis A.]

Is there a way to obtain the original license plate/registration number of a car first registered in Germany (in 1981) if one knows the VIN number and city where the car was first registered?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Aurelius]

Luis,

did you receive any documentation with your car? You should look for a document with the title "Fahrzeugbrief" or "Kraftfahrzeugbrief". You will find pictures of how this document looks like if you do a google search for "kfz-brief". The first entry in this document is the original license plate.

If you do not have this document, you still may have received a paper titled "Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung". To my knowledge, this is required for exporting a car from Germany. (You will have more experience with this than me!) This might also give the information you seek.

Third possible source of information: papers on the bi-annual road safety test ("TÜV-Bericht") should also show the registration number, but of course only the number which the car had on the date of the test.

Another option is to go through these guys, the federal car registry in Germany: www.kba.de. I gave them a call just now regarding a question, and they told me that they will provide this information to the current owner (not other persons) if the car is currently registered or has been registered in Germany within the last seven years. Apparently, they delete all data seven years after the registration has ended. I can assist you with translating, if required.

You could also try and talk to the people at the local registration office ("KfZ-Zulassungsstelle") of the city where the car was originally registered, but I have no clue whether they keep their files after a car is no longer registered within their area. I think this is rather not likely.

Good luck with your hunt, and let me know (via email) if I can be of help!

Aurel

 

[Luis A.]

Hi Aurel,

Good to hear from you and thanks for your very informative reply.

I know this was going to be a long shot since I have very little information on the car. All I have is the BMW archives information that it was delivered to the dealer in Frankfurt July 1981. Then it was imported to the USA and have a copy of the first title in Oklahoma issued in 1987. Maybe the next thing to try for me is to see if the Oklahoma Dept. of motor vehicles kept a copy of the foreign title when it was turned in to secure the Oklahoma title... Long shot.

Will you be at Techno Classica this year? Thinking about going.

 

[Aurelius]

Hi Luis,

another long shot: if the dealer in Frankfurt who took delivery of the car still exists, they might still have documents on the sale or subsequent service of the car. Again, I can assist with translating, if required.

I will definitely visit Techno Classica this year, seeing that the new office which I am in is right across the road from the convention center in Essen. It would be great to meet you there! I can also offer an air mattress, if required...

Aurel

 

[Luis A.]

That's a great idea on contacting the dealer. Let me look into it.

Thanks for the offer of the air mattress, I'll consider it

 

[NL2800CS]

Hi Luis,

Maybe I can help you with the following:
Consider that in Germany the platenumber is attached to the owner!
So if he gets another car the same old number/plate goes to his new car.
That's why you can not have those plates or that's private information.

In the Netherlands the car keeps the number so that's easy.
I called BMW-Nederland and got a computerprint with all data as they were regestrated. Maybe you can do the same in Germany and they know the first owner, but its possible that if the car had several owners in Germany it must had have several different numberplates too!!!

Good Luck