Huge change coming to number plates in just WEEKS – as best time to buy a new car is revealed

A HUGE change is coming to number plates in just weeks.

Cars registered from March 1 will be given a new style of number plate with a “22” tag, replacing the current “71” tag.

The updated number plates will have to follow new rules introduced last year.

The “BS AU 145e” plates will be made from a tougher material than the old ones.

The new plates will be more resistant to abrasion and damage – and can now only display solid black lettering.

Two-tone plates which used contrasting shades to create a 3D effect have been banned.

They will also need to include the supplier’s business name, postcode as well as the name of the number plate manufacturer.

In good news for car buyers, the incoming updated plates could result in cheaper vehicles.

Car dealerships often try to get rid of their stock at discounted prices just before new number plate registrations are brought in.

New number plate registrations are introduced twice a year, in March and September – making February and August popular car-buying times for bargain-hunters.

It comes as some dealerships are also offering cash incentives to help motorists with their purchase of a new car.

The cash incentives — often from the dealer they bought from — come amid surging demand for nearly new motors.

Top models can attract huge sweeteners, and dealers are even offering cash for more affordable vehicles such as the Ford Fiesta and VW Polo.

One Land Rover owner in Surrey told The Sun on Sunday he was offered £10,000 on top of the original purchase price to sell a vehicle he had bought just months earlier.

The driver said: “It’s unbelievable. The car market is on its head at the moment.”