Okla-homey
12/6/2006, 08:43 AM
Dec 6, 1955: National standard established for license plates
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8099/ppppppppppppppppoklahomha0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Prior to standardization, carmakers were unable to design cars with a precisely tailored opening for the license plate as seen here
51 years ago, on this day in 1955, the Federal government standardized the size of license plates throughout the U.S. Previously, individual states had designed their own license plates, resulting in wide variations in dimensions and attachment holes.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/2070/ppppppppppppppppppppdelfr4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Probably the longest used license plate design. Delaware has used this basic design almost from the beginning, however, its dimensions were fixed by the national standard. The "First State" is a reference to the fact Delaware was the "first state" to ratify the Constitution.
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/2817/ppppppppppppppp00006vw8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Some guy in Omaha changing his tag in 1937. BTW, back in day, there were no "year" stickers. That meant a new plate very year. Note that in this picture, the new plate is dimensionally different
So much for "states rights," however, this standardization certainly made it easier on the automotive industry. After this standard went into effect with the 1956 model automobiles, car makers stopped using license plate attachment points which permitted the attachment of a variety of plate sizes.
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/2900/ppppppppppppppppppppppppe0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Collection of license plates which illustrates the dimensional variations before standardization
As an aside, here in the Sooner State, we generally refer to these things as car "tags." Most everyplace else generally calls them "license plates." Your correspondent has no idea why this is so.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/7220/pppppppppppppppptcdhhcy8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Dope smokers in Austin are no doubt responsible for this tag
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/6238/insane7zocn2.jpg
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8099/ppppppppppppppppoklahomha0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Prior to standardization, carmakers were unable to design cars with a precisely tailored opening for the license plate as seen here
51 years ago, on this day in 1955, the Federal government standardized the size of license plates throughout the U.S. Previously, individual states had designed their own license plates, resulting in wide variations in dimensions and attachment holes.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/2070/ppppppppppppppppppppdelfr4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Probably the longest used license plate design. Delaware has used this basic design almost from the beginning, however, its dimensions were fixed by the national standard. The "First State" is a reference to the fact Delaware was the "first state" to ratify the Constitution.
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/2817/ppppppppppppppp00006vw8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Some guy in Omaha changing his tag in 1937. BTW, back in day, there were no "year" stickers. That meant a new plate very year. Note that in this picture, the new plate is dimensionally different
So much for "states rights," however, this standardization certainly made it easier on the automotive industry. After this standard went into effect with the 1956 model automobiles, car makers stopped using license plate attachment points which permitted the attachment of a variety of plate sizes.
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/2900/ppppppppppppppppppppppppe0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Collection of license plates which illustrates the dimensional variations before standardization
As an aside, here in the Sooner State, we generally refer to these things as car "tags." Most everyplace else generally calls them "license plates." Your correspondent has no idea why this is so.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/7220/pppppppppppppppptcdhhcy8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Dope smokers in Austin are no doubt responsible for this tag
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/6238/insane7zocn2.jpg