If you've ever wondered why every car around you has a stamped metal tag screwed to the bumper, you're not alone. License plates are one of those everyday objects most of us never really think about, but they have a surprisingly rich history that goes back over a century in the United States. Here's how American license plates went from homemade leather strap experiments to the standardized, reflective tags we see on every car today.
Read more →The earliest license plates emerged at the very end of the nineteenth century, when motor vehicles were still strange, loud, and a little frightening to most people. Cars were new, fast, and often dangerous, and the people they hit (or nearly hit) had no good way to identify the driver responsible. The license plate, in its very first form, was an answer to that simple practical problem.
Read more →Vanity plates are everywhere, but some places produce way more of them than others. Whether it's state culture, low fees, or a deep love of cars and self-expression, certain spots punch well above their weight when it comes to personalized plates. Here's a tour of where you're most likely to spot a great tag.
Read more →"Tagging" is taking a photo of a license plate to add to your collection and share with others. When you're travelling, you should be prepared and equipped to spot vanity license plates quickly. When you are a pasenger in a moving vehicle or walking by cars, there isn't much time to determine if a plate is vanity or not!
Read more →Vanity plates are, at their core, a tiny comedy format. You have 6 to 8 characters and maybe a state graphic to make someone laugh, groan, or do a double take at 65 mph. Some people absolutely nail it.
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