Would you delay an August delivery to September?

[Joel]

Hi all,

I've just had my phone call telling me that I've been allocated an August delivery. This will be the first time I buy a brand new car, so I've never had the opportunity for this to be a problem before but, I'm aware that the new registration (72 plates) will come in from the 1st of September. Typically the older registrations are worth less on the used market as the car looks 6 months older. Has anyone got any experience with this or has anyone considered asking for a September delivery instead of an August delivery?

One thing I was considering here as well is who is registering the car? If I were to have it delivered to a dealer, are they going to register it or will it be registered before it gets to them?
In the dealer registers it, I could in theory keep my August delivery, have them sort the PPF and inspections and then register and collect 1st of September to get the new 72 plate?

 

[andrew6382]

Hi all,

I've just had my phone call telling me that I've been allocated an August delivery. This will be the first time I buy a brand new car, so I've never had the opportunity for this to be a problem before but, I'm aware that the new registration (72 plates) will come in from the 1st of September. Typically the older registrations are worth less on the used market as the car looks 6 months older. Has anyone got any experience with this or has anyone considered asking for a September delivery instead of an August delivery?

One thing I was considering here as well is who is registering the car? If I were to have it delivered to a dealer, are they going to register it or will it be registered before it gets to them?
In the dealer registers it, I could in theory keep my August delivery, have them sort the PPF and inspections and then register and collect 1st of September to get the new 72 plate?

From what I understand, the plates etc will be on the car when it gets to your dealer. You need to speak to Lotus, your dealer has no influence on this ......

 

[Daz]

Hi all,

I've just had my phone call telling me that I've been allocated an August delivery. This will be the first time I buy a brand new car, so I've never had the opportunity for this to be a problem before but, I'm aware that the new registration (72 plates) will come in from the 1st of September. Typically the older registrations are worth less on the used market as the car looks 6 months older. Has anyone got any experience with this or has anyone considered asking for a September delivery instead of an August delivery?

One thing I was considering here as well is who is registering the car? If I were to have it delivered to a dealer, are they going to register it or will it be registered before it gets to them?
In the dealer registers it, I could in theory keep my August delivery, have them sort the PPF and inspections and then register and collect 1st of September to get the new 72 plate?

If it was me, I’d ask lotus to delay delivery until September. Number plate snobbery would kick in and I’d go with the ‘72 plate

 

[Joel]

If it was me, I’d ask lotus to delay delivery until September. Number plate snobbery would kick in and I’d go with the ‘72 plate

If you had a personal plate would you change your opinion? I'm looking at this from purely resale value potential, that's why I'm on the fence

 

[695 to Emira]

I have also had news of an August delivery and will get it even if in the last week of the month just to start enjoying it. Not bothered about the plate.

If you are worried about maintaining value you should probably wait.

 

[NicolasB]

Right now anyone from the states reading this is like (including me)

 

[TomE]

If you’re going to sell it within 12 months then some benefit in waiting for 1 Sept. But it’s an odd market currently and there is a long waiting list which could override the date effect.

If you’re keeping it for 2-3 years or more then I think mileage, spec and condition will be more relevant than date of registration.

 

[roundincircles]

Defo get Sept registration. You can pay late August. No skin off their nose.

 

[Joel]

Seems like a mixed bag here. Tbh, I'm not sure I care, but I mentioned August delivery to partner, parents and a few friends and they all said, surely you're going to want a September delivery for the new plate. Which put doubt in my mind.

If I were to get a call saying it's 1st week of August, would I sacrifice the summer of driving, of course not! If it was last week of August, would I try and delay a week, maybe?

For the Americans/non-brits, in the UK we have two 6 month cycles on our registrations, you get the year (so 22) from Mar-Aug and then the year + 50 (so 72) from Sep-Feb. There's a lot of snobbery about the age of a car here because you can tell down to a six month cycle how old a car is. Getting a car late in the cycle makes it look older and is typically unfashionable. That added to the fact used car prices are often done by the six month cycles, makes it undesirable to have a car delivered in Feb or Aug in the UK, the car being valued with cars nearly 6 months older than it.

 

[NicolasB]

Seems like a mixed bag here. Tbh, I'm not sure I care, but I mentioned August delivery to partner, parents and a few friends and they all said, surely you're going to want a September delivery for the new plate. Which put doubt in my mind.

If I were to get a call saying it's 1st week of August, would I sacrifice the summer of driving, of course not! If it was last week of August, would I try and delay a week, maybe?

For the Americans/non-brits, in the UK we have two 6 month cycles on our registrations, you get the year (so 22) from Mar-Aug and then the year + 50 (so 72) from Sep-Feb. There's a lot of snobbery about the age of a car here because you can tell down to a six month cycle how old a car is. Getting a car late in the cycle makes it look older and is typically unfashionable. That added to the fact used car prices are often done by the six month cycles, makes it undesirable to have a car delivered in Feb or Aug in the UK, the car being valued with cars nearly 6 months older than it.

Thank you for the info! I kind of figured it was something like that, but didn't understand the '72 thing

 

[Billyidoliser]

If it was me, I’d ask lotus to delay delivery until September. Number plate snobbery would kick in and I’d go with the ‘72 plate

Could be some added value in having the 22 plate to show you were an early adopter and one of the first to own this very special car!!?

 

[Jon_N]

100% better to wait for Sept even if you have private plate in terms of resale down the line. No point in delaying your end, that will happen naturally from Lotus!

 

[simonb]

shame there is no black and gold colour scheme to go with the 72 plates

 

[Kentviking]

I'd go for August...then you might get the car in September

 

[Magicman]

I had my phone call a while ago saying July, I'm expecting that to get pushed to August given the recent June emails, I'm away first two wks in August but if its here will still register it before 1st Sept if its here, I do have a private plate but from a resale value pov it will make pretty much zero difference on a car with an 18mth waiting list in the short term and a few hundreds quod likely in the long term, if that worries you I probably wouldn't buy an £80k brand new car

 

[Jon_N]

I had my phone call a while ago saying July, I'm expecting that to get pushed to August given the recent June emails, I'm away first two wks in August but if its here will still register it before 1st Sept if its here, I do have a private plate but from a resale value pov it will make pretty much zero difference on a car with an 18mth waiting list in the short term and a few hundreds quod likely in the long term, if that worries you I probably wouldn't buy an £80k brand new car

To me it’s still important, even for the 911 I have in order I’d rather wait the couple of weeks to register. Each to their own I guess…

 

[roundincircles]

Hi all,

I've just had my phone call telling me that I've been allocated an August delivery. This will be the first time I buy a brand new car, so I've never had the opportunity for this to be a problem before but, I'm aware that the new registration (72 plates) will come in from the 1st of September. Typically the older registrations are worth less on the used market as the car looks 6 months older. Has anyone got any experience with this or has anyone considered asking for a September delivery instead of an August delivery?

One thing I was considering here as well is who is registering the car? If I were to have it delivered to a dealer, are they going to register it or will it be registered before it gets to them?
In the dealer registers it, I could in theory keep my August delivery, have them sort the PPF and inspections and then register and collect 1st of September to get the new 72 plate?

You determine the registration date but you may be asked to pay at build completion, ie August if they are fussy about cash flow. I have a Porker for delivery in December but the dealer will register March 1st......my choice.

 

[Joel]

You determine the registration date but you may be asked to pay at build completion, ie August if they are fussy about cash flow. I have a Porker for delivery in December but the dealer will register March 1st......my choice.

This is what I hope will happen, though Lotus CC didn't think it would be so simple. I'm guessing they haven't formalised a plan for delaying the PDI on customer requests like this, perhaps if a few others inquire they will have a think about it?