Zoll Plate Surprise!

[neelyrc]

My car was delivered at the factory with the oval shaped Zoll plates front and back.  I have had the original front plate with the car for years and I currently have it mounted on the front bumper in the as delivered position.  I lost track of the rear plate and assumed it was gone forever.  My brother told me he thought my dad may have cut it up in the 1970s when he needed a small piece of aluminum for some small job he was doing. Not so, today it resurfaced in Italy!

I was cleaning out a shed in the country today and came across a stack of old license plates from cars I owned prior to 1976.  The plates had gone into storage with my household effects in Chicago when I was transferred to South Africa that Spring.  When I was transferred to Paris in 1981 the stored effects were shipped there and in 1985 when I returned to the States the lot was shipped to my home in Italy.  At some point the plates got shuffled from the garage to the little used shed and were forgotten. 

As can be seen in the picture the factory trimmed the top of the rear plate to clear the trunk lock mechanism.  They then drilled two new holes to mount the plate on the valence rather than using the slotted holes on the plate. 

Now cleaned up, I will be taking the rear plate back to Alabama in November to rejoin the car.     

I switched the picture to one taken outdoors as the earlier one appeared a little on the yellow side.  This one was taken outside in natural light.






 

[Pawel66]

Cool!

[Tyler S]

Do I see a spot for the group badge on the left side of the front plate holder? 

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Nice find Ralph!

I once had plates from my old cars 1959 to 2007 (Quebec and Alberta Canada). Somehow when we downsized in 2007 in Alberta to move to Ontario all got tossed out with many other things. Last year we further downsized from our third house since coming to Canada back to an appartment and more stuff got sold and tossed out. If I had a plate like yours from a original car purchase in Germany I’m sure it would never have left my belongings

I do miss my garage, however, life goes on, what will be will be.

Best,

Dieter

[Mike Hughes]

That's wonderful, Ralph!

[neelyrc]

Do I see a spot for the group badge on the left side of the front plate holder? 

Yes Tyler, last year when I fabricated the bracket for my Silver Star badge I left room on the passenger side for our new group badge.  As soon as I am back with the car in November I’ll take care of this.

[neelyrc]

Dieter, I was well trained by wife one and wife two not to throw anything!  I’ve found that the older I get the easier it is to throw out the really unnecessary stuff even if I must be a bit sneaky at times.  Car stuff just doesn’t fit in the unnecessary category!
Regards,

[neelyrc]

Thanks Pawel and Mike, It is unbelievable how much satisfaction can come from such a seemingly insignificant find. 

The next thing that will bring a similar smile to my face is finding a set of Heyco slip joint pliers with the MB star.  My tool kit was stolen in shipment in 1970 and the MB replacement kit included a set of Heyco slip joint pliers but sans Star.



 

[Pawel66]

Those appear on e-bay from time to time. Obviously lots of them, Heyco, with a star and 129 designation, but it is not what you are looking for. You will find them. Anything else from tool set? I will let you know if I come across.

Or post in wanted to buy.

[neelyrc]

Thanks Pawel, Tool set is complete except for the Starred Heyco pliers.

[Pawel66]

I will pay attention. I was into tools big time recently, completing both my Pagoda tools as well as 1956 190SL - this was a really a tough one for spark plug and lug wrench...

Here is my tools - collected piece by piece.

[neelyrc]

Nice Pawel!🙂

[hauser]

Is the Zoll plate  still in use?

[neelyrc]

Apparently yes, Hauser.  See here:

http://www.zoll.de/EN/Private-individuals/Travel/Entering-Germany/Duties-and-taxes/Purchase-of-motor-vehicles/purchase-of-motor-vehicles_node.html

But, the plates are no longer the oval ones shown above.  Things have evolved over the years.

When I bought my car for European delivery all the arrangements were made by Mercedes-Benz so that on collecting the car it came with a Zoll registration booklet and the installed plates.  The paint data plate and my data card include code 602 which is mounting of customs license plates.  The Mercedes-Benz order included a USD200 refundable fee which the buyer could collect after export from Germany.    See Pagoda Notes Volume 10 Number 3 for a picture of the Zoll Registration Book data page.

[49er]

Good find Ralph. I still have the zoll plate that came with my long gone '65 VW that I took delivery of in Paris. The CA DMV confiscated the front plate that I stuck on the back when I registered here (it was pretty beat up after being in Europa for 3 months). I still have the plate you see here when the car was about a week old taken in Normandy (Port-en-Bessin). When I was in Rome a couple of months later I saw another VW with "1002" on his plate. What were the odd's??

John

[Pawel66]

Was it a 1300?

My father had almost identical one in the 70-ies, just without the guards on the bumper... My father's was 1300.

[49er]

 I think the 1300's came out in '66. Mine was a 1200. It seemed massive on the European roads back then, especially in the Cities. Naples was the worst.

[neelyrc]

I still have the plate you see here when the car was about a week old taken in Normandy (Port-en-Bessin). When I was in Rome a couple of months later I saw another VW with "1002" on his plate..........

Thanks John, your plate is in great shape! If it were not for the Wulfsburg logo you might sneak it on the front of your Pagoda from time to time!

Normandy is one of our favorite areas of France, particularly Concale near Saint-Malo west across the peninsula from where your shot was taken. 

Finding 1002 in Rome must have been a real shocker, particularly on another VW!  Birds of a feather .......

[ejboyd5]

Here's the plate that was on my 1964 220 SEb when I took delivery at the factory on July 7, 1964:

[MikeSimon]

I still have the original German plates, issued in 1982, front and rear on my SL. I was driving it like this (I know, semi-legally  ) here in the U.S. until it stopped running in 1998. It is parked like this in the garage. Once it is done, I may have to have it "federalized"

[Pawel66]

I think the 1300's came out in '66. Mine was a 1200. It seemed massive on the European roads back then, especially in the Cities. Naples was the worst.

Thank you! Memories...
1002 must have been from the same delivery. Same colour as yours?
You can see it is a new car - look at the wheel wells cleanliness...

[JamesL]

Naples to Normandy in a Beetle is some trip!

Oh to have the time

[Pawel66]

Different times, different expactations and a diffrent spirit. In the 80-ies I was travelling from Warsaw to Norway, two persons with a luggage for cold and warm weather, a tent, food for 3 months and spare parts in the Fiat 126p, 650ccm.

To pack food, as an example: you took out the spare wheel and the battery, you packed tins with sardines under the spare wheel and battery as there was space, then you put both back in. Then you moved to remove left headlight housing to pack one more tin under, etc....

Climbing slopes in Norway - 3-5km on the second gear...

[neelyrc]

Here's the plate that was on my 1964 220 SEb when I took delivery at the factory on July 7, 1964:

Great souvenir ejboyd.  Do you still have the car?

[neelyrc]

I still have the original German plates, issued in 1982, front and rear on my SL. I was driving it like this (I know, semi-legally  ) here in the U.S..........

Mike, perhaps you are as big a scofflaw as me!  I had a Ford Escort in Italy with Alabama plates from 1973 to 1985!  Lots of stories there. 

I assume this is the same Pagoda that is undergoing a head refurbishment now being discussed under another thread here.  Very nice euro model (personally however, I prefer without the eyebrows).  Lets see some pictures when it is again on the road.