Help needed from our Members in OZ

[Maurice]

Hi Folks
Can someone in OZ please help. Extra to my two Gilberns and a Marlin in this crazy family there is a midget, with my son, which I restored. My other son is a Morgan man. And my son in law is all VW's. Two classic campers, two beetle one for trials and one shows.
Its the last one we would like help with. 1957 Oval rear screen 1200cc beetle totally restored in OZ and imported to the U.K. in 2007. We would love to trace it's history. There sticker on the fuel tank which shows the company that did the restoration but they are no longer in business. DVLA at Swansea naturally has nothing before 2007. Please chaps is there a simalar organisation to our DVLA we could write to or email to see if we can get any history. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards Maurice

[GGenie69]

G'day Maurice,
I've had a look at this and the short answer is no. There is not one motoring body like the DVLC but several as every state has there own version; RTA- NSW, VicRoads - Victoria etc. Registration numbers may not be assigned for the entire life of the vehicle either. If there is a break in the continuity, ie off the road for over a year, then a new number would be issued at the next registration and again each State has it's own.

Now in saying that, all may not be lost. You mention a sticker but the Co. is now out of bussiness? What are those details? you normally find that when a business like that closes one of the workers may open a simalar business in the same area/town but under a different name. Also, there are good regional car clubs, often made up of only a handful of people, someone somewhere must know about the vehicle in question, after all, there's only 22 million people in Oz it couldn't be that hard

If you send me all the info you have, by personel Email if you like, I'll see what I can do. I'll need any known Reg numbers and the States that issued them and the name and address on the sticker, all the info you know about it Oz and I'll start making enquires for you if you want?

Richard

[Maurice]

Hi Oz
Very many thanks for your kind offer. Can I put it on hold for a moment because yesterday when I was wiring in a 6 volt radio stuffed behind the dash panel was some papers. We thought they were to deaden the noise but it turns out that it is the original registration papers. First registered in the State of Victoria on 13 Feb 1957 Transfered to a Richard Maud of Burwood on 28th Jan 1958. It seems that it had about eight owners into the sixties when the trail goes dead. Spencer Motors of Fremington seemed to have taken it back from custombers on two occasions.
It is then registered with the DVLA in the U.K. 1 Jan 2007.
With all those guys listed I think I have enough to build a history. The mystery is why the papers were not found before can only be that my son in law doesn't tinker and my involvemen brought them to light. I was about to come back to you this morning with a "don't bother" note but you beat me to it. Once again many thanks for you trouble.
Kind Regards Maurice

[GGenie69]

Excellent find on the papers Maurice, quite an early potted history you have there. Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you've got a result.

If anyone has need for infomation or items from Australia I'll be glad to help if I can.

Richard

[Maurice]

Hi Richard
Your efforts were not wasted. The plot is to raise an A4 sheet of the cars history which we laminate and leave on the windscreens at shows for folk to read. It gets folk talking. I have one for my G.T. But that is about Gilberns in general and the company. Down loaded from our website.
In the case of the Beetle I am going to use the info you provided about numbers not being being for the life of the vehicle in some cases. All good stuff to interest the punters.
You would had a bit of a laugh if you had seen me ironing the papers I found. They have photocopied quite well now.
Many thanks again for all you interest and help
Kind regards